


Courage and Fear

by Rodan427



Series: Power Rangers Ninjetti [5]
Category: Power Rangers
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-08-24 01:32:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 23,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8351080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rodan427/pseuds/Rodan427
Summary: In lieu of Jason's next attack, Sean begins training the Rangers.





	1. The Hunt

By John Warrick

 

Rocky charged across the base of the arid mountains, leaping over stones and bouncing off boulders.  The many layers of sweat leaking from his brow failed to soothe him from the overhead sun’s beating rays.  His calves and quadriceps tore with each stride, while his ribs ached.  Huffing through shallow breaths, his vision darkened.  Yet the will to survive—to escape—burned at his heels.  He pushed forward, urgent for help.  But all he had seen for the past hour were rocks and boulders.   _This is madness!_ he swore, too tired to talk.  His eyes zipped around, searching for shelter.

No sooner had he thought this, a gust of sizzling air shot past him, inches from his left cheek.  Just as he dug his feet into the ground, pivoting to change course, a boulder at least twice his size exploded a few yards in front of him.  Hurled off his feet, he tumbled, rolling and scraping across the sandy dirt, rock, and stones; finally slamming his side into the ground at the bottom.  Though starving for oxygen, Rocky’s lungs froze on impact, weighing Rocky into the ground.

“You should’ve stayed put,” called a deep voice from Rocky’s left.

Unable to suck in air, Rocky swung his head around to the source of the voice.  Already strained by fatigue and stress, his heart almost burst upon beholding his pursuer.

“It would’ve made this easier,” Jason finished, striding toward Rocky’s side, his robes flapping in the breeze.

Air began hissing from Rocky’s lungs.  Fear overpowering his wits, Rocky scrambled backwards, scraping his skin even more.

Jason continued striding toward him, eyes locked on Rocky.  “You’re not going anywhere,” he commanded softly.

_I don’t believe this!_ Rocky mentally snarled.

Full gasps of air flowing back into his lungs, Rocky struggled to his feet, crawling away.  His legs were jelly, and the chances of him getting away were slim, but anything was better than staying.  Teleporting away did not enter his thoughts.

Jason pitched a fireball the size of a softball at Rocky.

Rocky crumbled forward upon the side of his face, fatigue hammered him to the ground with arms spread out.  For a moment, a fog settled over his mind, dulling all thought.  He was still breathing.  Eyes still open he glanced around, daring not to move his head.  However, the faint stench of smoke wafted into his nostrils.  But there was no fire, and he felt no pain.

He heard a pair of boots approaching.

“You know, it’s hard to look at yourself when you’re lying on your stomach,” Jason called out.

A hand seized Rocky’s shoulder, swinging him around.  Grunting, Rocky stared into Jason’s face, unable to read his expression.  In his hands Jason held a thin triangular prism shaped white crystal a bit longer than a foot.  Wonder and confusion swam in Rocky’s mind while studying it, grasping at nothing.  Waves of blue energy swirled around its outline.  Rocky’s eyelids stretched into his forehead, his mouth falling open.  It was his sub-crystal of the Zeo Crystal.

_But that was—_ he gasped.

Taking quick short breaths, he arched his neck up, peering at his chest.  His mouth melted in horror.  Two of his left ribs and his sprinting heart met his gaze.

“Your power coin was destroyed once,” Jason said, glancing at Rocky.  “It’s only fitting your sub-crystal should be destroyed also.”  Before Rocky could react, Jason crushed the crystal, tossing the remains into the breeze.

Rocky gasped.  He grimaced.  “Wh—wh—why?” he whispered.  _You’re a Power Ranger!_

Jason smirked, eyeing him with contempt.  With lightning precision, he clamped a hand over Rocky’s mouth, pinning his head to the ground.

Rocky grunted and tried pulling his head away but it remained immobile.  His arms lay limp at his sides.

Without a word’s warning, Jason seized Rocky’s heart, digging his fingers into it.

Blood punched his throat, gagging his scream.  His muscles tore against Jason, bulging in silent screams.  All the while, Jason kept squeezing his heart.  Rocky whimpered, silently begging for Jason to stop.  Under his skin, his muscles thrashed but his limbs never flailed.  He should have been paralyzed.  He should have been dead; but oblivion never came.

Jason loosened his grasp around Rocky’s heart but still pinned him.  

Rocky whimpered again, trembling within.

_“Rocky?”_ Adam’s voice cried from a distance.   _“Rocky!”_

_Listen to that voice,_ Jason instructed, bending over Rocky.  He looked Rocky in the eye.   _What ranger are you?_ he asked.

Rocky only shuddered, beseeching mercy through eyes flooded with anguish.

Jason slowly squeezed Rocky’s heart once more.

Pain and agony consuming him, Rocky screamed, blasting his torment through his eyes as his voice echoed in his ears.

Tightening his face with determination, Jason tore Rocky’s heart free and slammed it into the ground.

Rocky bellowed as never a person he knew could.  Tears, shudders, and wails spewed from him.  All the while, Jason watched.

_“Rocky, wake up!  You’re dreaming!  Wake up!”_

 

* * *

 

 

A pair of hands violently shook Rocky.  Rocky swung his right fist out.  The shaking stopped.

Snapping and blinking his eyes open, Rocky bolted upright, sweat pouring down his face to his chest.  He was not in the desert.  He was in bed.  And it was night.  He gasped.

_I’m home,_ he thought; too shocked to talk.

Quickly, he swept his hands over his chest.  Feeling it intact, he finally looked at it.  There were no holes or burns there.  He felt his neck and mouth.

_No blood._   Smirking, he gasped, too shocked to laugh.  _What the heck was that?  A nightmare?  An attack?_   Uncertainty pounded through his blood vessels.

“Rocky?” Adam whispered.  His hand slid onto Rocky’s shoulder. 

Rocky whirled around at Adam, his eyes and mouth stretched open in terror; unsure of whom he was seeing—his mind half immersed in the night terror.  For a handful of seconds, the two of them remained frozen, locked in each other’s stares.

“Adam?” Rocky whimpered.  His face shattering into a smile, he tackled Adam with a bone cracking hug, nestling his head alongside Adam’s.

Adam gasped.  “Rocky—crushing me!” Adam spat, his voice becoming breather with each word.

But Rocky only tightened his hold with his lover, as if Adam would suddenly disintegrate into dust.

Adam wrenched his arms free.  “I’m here,” he stressed, wrapping his arms around Rocky, kissing the side of Rocky’s face.  “What happened?”

Relief flooded Rocky so much that he only sighed, choking back a cry.

“What happened!?” Adam asked, struggling to keep the panic from his voice.  Rocky still did not answer.  “Rocky, _please!_   Tell me what’s wrong!” Adam added, his voice finally betraying a crack.


	2. Distance

Across the city, Trini snapped her eyelids open.  Seized by anxiety (and surprised she had dozed off), she tugged at the blanket around her whilst darting her eyes around Richie’s living room.  Sensing danger, she whimpered, “Richie?  Richie!”

Bouncing to his feet from the couch, he leapt to her side, careful not to touch her but kneeling beside her.  “I’m here,” he whispered, placing a hand on the armrest.

“What’s going on?” she exclaimed, her face filled with panic.

Richie glanced outside and around the room.  Returning to her, he knelt closer to her.  “Nothing,” he said gently.  “You’re safe here.”

Immediately, the alarm fled from Trini.  Drained from the exertion, she fell back into her seat.  She had been dreaming.  “Safe for now at least,” she scoffed.

Richie inched his face a little closer.  “Yes,” Richie said, knowing it was useless to lie, “You have time now.  Time to heal.”

“I live in terror—horror!” she admitted.  “It doesn’t end.  Just when I think I can forget (have bits of peace!) it rushes back!”

Richie nodded while studying into her face.  Ignoring his anxiety, he pressed on, listening to his compassion.  “What did you see?” he asked. 

Instead of answering, she stared into her lap, wanting to just sleep. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.

“Fire.  Fire everywhere.  Roaring.  Screaming!  A lot’s still jumbled.”  Once again, the flames of the firestorm that had claimed Aisha six years ago blazed within her mind’s eye.  Caressing her head, she shook it.

“It was only a nightmare,” Richie soothed.

Trini tossed her head around.  “A nightmare of reality.  The truth squashed by a lie!  And I _didn’t_ sleep!” she snapped at Richie.

Embarrassment slapped Richie in the face.  _Most rape victims don’t usually sleep the night after their assault,_ he reminded himself.  Throughout the night, she had held a constant visual like a hawk, searching for its predator.  Absolutely refusing to go into a bedroom, Richie suggested that they spend the night in the living room.  It was the best lookout in the house.  The large window opened up to the whole front yard and drive, plus it was adjacent to the foyer and dining room which lead to the kitchen and a door to the backyard.  Standing in the living room, he could see half of the backyard through the dining room window.  If the exits on the first floor were blocked (and if teleporting was not an option at the time), they could always go down the stairs adjacent to the kitchen and through the mudroom directly off to the right, which had a door separating itself from the rest of the house, or a few steps down the hallway to the left and out a regular door in the hallway or the sliding glass doors in the den.

Richie fought back the urge to smirk out of politeness for Trini.  He had never thought of the tactical layout of his house.  Still, now that he thought about it, it might just be easier to simply grab Trini and teleport out.   However given his experience yesterday, Jason was not in the mindset for making things easy.  With understanding and compassion, Richie turned his attention back to Trini.  “You were deceived and it was out of your power to do more,” Richie maintained, wanting to reach her.  “Did you get any sleep?” he added, knowing it was a far off possibility.

“No.”

He frowned and searched for something else to say to her.  Unfortunately, having never been raped or been through what she had described, his mind remained blank.  There was plenty he could say but hardly anything that she would accept or agree to.  Sighing softly, he kept watching her, searching for a sign she wanted to continue the conversation.

Feeling she was finished, Richie stared out the window behind him and the couch at the early dawn sky.  Strands of stratus clouds inched across the sky, casting shadows on the receding night.  He smiled.  After a night of sleeping a few hours at a time, he was glad to finally see a glimpse of the sun.  The sight of the light brought him new energy and purpose, as if he were capable of photosynthesis.

His stomach growled.  “Hmm,” he muttered, glancing at his stomach and then at Trini.  She had not eaten any of the spaghetti last night, stating that its smell nauseated her.  Worried that she was not eating much (minus the tea and scraps of breakfast the previous day), he resolved to make just enough breakfast for himself, leaving out the ingredients for Trini.  He would not let her starve.   Turning to leave, he rose halfway up when—

“I hesitated,” Trini muttered.

Richie spun around, facing her.  “Excuse me,” he asked.

“I… hesitated,” Trini repeated, pushing each syllable out.  “It’s all I could think about tonight.” 

Richie curiously peered at her, sliding his face toward her. 

A shadow passed over her face, as if the absence of life was eroding down her physical being.

His concern spiked.  “Hesitated?  How?  You said Jason blocked your memories.”

Staring down at her feet, Trini did not answer.

“Well?” Richie quietly offered, as he stepped forward.

Trini turned away, liquid shame congealing within her stomach.

Richie moved his head an inch closer.  “Trini?”

“Go away,” she uttered.

As if she had slapped him, Richie slumped off with as much demeanor as he could muster.  _It’s the trauma talking; not her,_ he reminded himself.  _She doesn’t hate you._

Unfortunately, since he was unable to sense her emotions, he did not notice the repugnance coiling within her, crushing her compassion—her innocence.

 

* * *

 

 

Meanwhile, on the edges of Reefside, Tommy stood before his living room window, gazing at the eastern sky, its light casting him in half silhouette.  Steam rose from the cup of coffee in his hand.  Hearing the floor creak, Tommy darted his head around, pulling his left hand behind his ear, ready to punch.  He blinked, dropping his hand.  “I’m sorry, Billy,” he sighed.

“Paranoid a bit?” Billy asked.  He stood both loosely and grounded upon the floor. “Just… all of—never mind,” Tommy shrugged, returning back to the window.  “I thought you’d still be asleep after yesterday.”

“Normally I would be, but I needed some water.”  Billy held up a glass.  “Being part Aquitian, I need to ingest more than most humans.”

“When did that happen?” Tommy asked, surprised yet glad for a distraction.

“Within a few weeks after I started my treatments,” Billy explained.  “Remember when Cestro warned us that he wasn’t sure how the Eternal Falls would work on me since I was human?”

“Yeah.”

“Well… I slowly became a hybrid as a result.”

“Funny, you don’t look that different,” Tommy joked.  He laughed.

Billy joined in.  He had missed this:  talking casually with his friends from Earth.  Ever since he had arrived, there had been very little time to catch up—to lighten the mood or enjoy it with them.  While Billy had learned to find sustenance and serenity in the moment, he knew his friends could not.  They had not been trained as he had.

While Sean had taught Billy how to be objective, he had not purged Billy of emotion.  The laughter he shared with Tommy drummed in his heart, lightening him.

But the laughter died too quickly from Tommy’s slackened face.  Billy surveyed his friend.  Even now, the strain pulled on Tommy’s skin, particularly along the sides of his jaw.  While not as defined as wrinkles, they were there, a sign of advancing age marking this man before his prime ended.  Even his laugh seemed anxious.  However, that was Tommy:  never allowing others to see his inner turmoil.

Billy looked away.

“What’s up?” Tommy asked him.

Stirred from his thoughts and feelings, Billy blinked and cleared his throat.  “I’m thinking about my family,” he answered honestly.

“It must be hard leaving them on Aquitar.  I’m still trying to get used to you being a dad.”

“Arqua is three weeks old and Titrus is four.”

“I bet it’s hard for him to be the man of the house.”

“Aquitians share familial responsibilities.  Discrimination and gender roles don’t exist there.  But I did ask him to look after his mother and sister.”

“I bet you want to be with them now.”

Billy gazed back Tommy, hunger wafting through him.  “More than you know.”  He drew in a deep breath and blew it out.  “Despite the past couple of days’ events, I’m glad I came back,” Billy resumed.

“You could have visited anytime, except during my finals,” Tommy chuckled.

“That reminds me:  How did you get through college, & two grad schools so quickly?”

“A lot of late nights!” Tommy sighed and groaned.  He shuddered.  “I was insane to do all of those classes at once—especially for my doctorate.”

“I would agree.  Now I know why you want to have the quiet life.”

“That’s it.”  They chuckled.  “It’s one of the reasons I was glad I met Haley in college.”  He smirked.  “I graduated from college a semester early, started my masters a week later, and then railroaded right through my doctorate.  She kept me on track.”

Although Billy had heard about this from Sean, he nodded, glad to hear it from Tommy at last.  “Because you discovered the Dino Gems?  No offense, I never thought you’d get a PhD; let alone seven years after high school.”

“Well, I did.”  Tommy rested back in his chair.  “Seven and a half actually.”

Billy raised his hand in mock surrender. 

Tommy continued.  “I was driven to learn as much as I could as quickly as possible.  It was worth it but I gotta tell you…”  Sighing, he shook his head, glancing at the floor.

“What?” Billy inquired after a moment passed, noticing a wave of weariness roll over Tommy.

Rubbing his eyes with one hand, Tommy looked at Billy again, masking his fatigue.  “Just a long journey in a short time.  Billy… I’m only twenty-six.”

Seeing that Tommy was dodging his question by burrowing back into himself, Billy smiled and nodded, not stoically but out of sympathy.  For the time being, none of them were engaged in battles so he decided to let Tommy be.  When Tommy needed to talk, he would.  Billy trusted that.  There had been enough pushing in the past few days—let alone years.

“At least you didn’t have a trainer like Sean for eight years,” he remarked.

Tommy raised his eyebrows.  “That long?”

“Ever since I met him.  I know you guys wondered why I was at the Power Chamber so much.  Rocky said I almost lived there.”

“He was right,” Tommy laughed.  “Tanya and I thought you had a cot hidden behind Alpha’s alcove.”

Billy laughed.  “You and I had difficult lives to say the least.  But still, even through all of that I found a wife, started a family.  Life’s been good.  Yours has been too from what I’ve heard.”

On the inside Tommy sighed, remorse engulfed him as he remembered the list of lost opportunities he had ignored because of his connection with the Morphing Grid.  His education after High School had revolved around it.

However, in the years after high school, his life had not been all work, which many of his colleges could not say the same.  No.  He had filled his life with new acquaintances and friends while keeping in touch with several of his older ones.  Yes.  His life had been bright.  He did not need a family to measure his success.  According to science three fourths of his life was still before him yielding chances of a brighter future.  He smiled.

“I’ll toast to that,” Tommy remarked, raising his mug.

“Cheers.  And may those years return.”

They clapped their cups together and drank, Billy relishing in the joy his family inspired within him. 

Meanwhile, Tommy hoped to have the long alluded quiet life he had sought after.  Perhaps his dream really was lurking beyond the horizon.  But then again, he had always been pulled back under the ranger mantle—ever since he was fourteen, The Power had dominated his life.  Perhaps his destiny was to be forever connected to it.  He hoped he was wrong.


	3. Wondering

Turning his head to the left, Adam glanced over Rocky’s head at the analog clock mounted on the nearby brick wall of the college basketball gymnasium.  It read 12:05pm.  _Still no attacks,_ Adam curiously noted.  His heart raced more frequently since Jason had launched attacks at unorthodox times. 

He hoped that Jason was not behind Rocky’s turmoil.

Rocky had not yet revealed his dream.  With Rocky’s continued silence, Adam abated his questioning.  While he was not ruled by unease, he was worried.

Emerging from his thoughts, Adam returned his attention to the now dwindling but still impressive audience of his students and their relatives.  They were right on schedule with the Advancement Tests.  Almost immediately, his pride returned.  “Third group, please step forward,” he called out across the vacant basketball court before him.  Down the court on his left, three more tables of instructors judged their student’s _katas_ and sparring prowess.

Before him, eight adult Brown belts assembled in the center of the performance area.  Forming two windowed lines, they faced the table of four judges:  Kathy, Brandon, Rocky, and Adam.

“Stance,” Adam instructed.

In unison, they clapped their limbs together at attention.  While not as rigid as military, they were poised and astute.  Bowing automatically, they slid their hands over their cupped region, fingers and thumbs still in knifehand fashion, with right on top of left.  Simultaneously they bent slightly at the knees while keeping their backs straight, poised to begin but resting in patience.  Although one would look constipated if she or he exaggerated this pose, it symbolized a person drawing strength and balance from within, instead from the body, even though they were grounded in this pose.

 _Excellent!_ Adam thought, surveying each of them.  By that uniformed display (just like the previous two groups,) they were ready to advance to Black belt.  Now it was just a matter of routine.  In his mind, he doubted if even one of his students would fail.  All of them had worked too hard since non-belt rank—encouraging each other along the way— to stop here.  Some of them would perhaps become student instructors.  Adam would be honored to have them as such.

While both pride and happiness swelled within him, a pang of disappointment tugged at his heart, now mingled with regret.  Regardless, his face did not change.  Underneath he mused.  This would be their first class of Black belts ever and Rocky and Adam had not achieved one of their goals as instructors.

For years, they had planned to teach their students the art of _chi_ manipulation and projection during the Black belt ranks.  While they knew a little of this phenomenon, neither of them nor their staff had apprenticed themselves to a proper master in this specialty.  For Rocky and Adam, due to financial reasons, they had to start building their business immediately after college.  Consequently, they swore neither they nor their staff would instruct _chi_ projection or manipulation until all of them were masters in that field.  Surveying his students, Adam wondered if that day would ever come, especially with Jason attacking the earth.  _There is so much about the Martial Arts we haven’t experienced yet,_ he thought.

Even though all the above was true, Rocky and Adam had plenty techniques from their research to add to their students’ education as they progressed through the various Black belt levels.

Letting go of his worries, Adam waited a second more for Rocky to speak.  Three had gone by already.  Silence answered him.

Usually Adam brought the students to order and Rocky told them to begin.  Rocky had followed through with this task promptly all morning… until now.

His concern now growing again, Adam glanced at Rocky out of the corner of his eye.  On his left, Rocky’s arms were spread out on the table, ready to mark their students’ success.  But as he looked at the students, he did not focus on them.  Resolving to continue the test since it was the last advancement group; Adam turned his attention back at his students and announced, “Begin.”

Adam studied each of his students.  They were perfect—moving as one, a requirement for achieving the first level of black belt at Desoto and Park Academy; showing they understood the necessity of teamwork.  Their method was exemplary—neither too formal nor casual.  Each of them executed sharp and quick punches, kicks, and strikes, and blocks with fluid motion when appropriate.  They were ready for the next step.  Delighted, Adam marked each of them as passed on their katas, looking forward to their sparring matches later in the morning.  When they finished, they paused and then slid back into their kata’s ready stance in unison.

Adam beamed at them.  “Thank you,” he announced.  “The sparring matches will begin momentarily.”

“Sir!” chorused the students, snapping to attention and bowing.  They dispersed into the background, retrieving their duffle bags.  Some sipped water.

Others considered sparing to be unnecessary in an advancement test; yet, Adam and Rocky believed that it was important for the students to truly know how to defend themselves against potential foes.  Additionally it allowed the students to demonstrate their skill outside of technique.  While malicious intent was not endorsed, ingenuity and craft were encouraged.  Sparing from green belt thru purple belt dealt with learning, applying, and developing specific combos.  Red and Brown belt students had to demonstrate how to use nonlethal blows; including sweeps and some grapples, to subdue an opponent and escape unharmed.  Rocky and Adam also taught how to recover from sweeps and grapples without getting hurt as much.  As a result sparing matches were shorter even though they provided light contact.  This process also helped Rocky and Adam to determine the deceptive bullies who only studied Martial Arts to inflict pain onto others.  But at the Brown Belt stage, the bullies had long been filtered out; dismissed or rehabilitated.

As the students left to put on their gear, Adam turned to Rocky.  He had not moved.  Adam shook Rocky’s shoulder.

Rocky startled.  “Hmm—what?” he gasped, looking around.  “Where are they going?”

“They just finished their katas,” Adam simply responded.

“Oh,” Rocky sighed.  He glanced forward.  “Hmm,” he said, seeing the students leave.  “Sorry, I must’ve zoned out.  Did all of them pass?”

“Yes,” Adam said, eyeing his partner.  Concern swirled within the black ranger.  _Rocky, you knew that before today,_ he thought.  “You okay?”

“Yeah, just didn’t sleep well.  You know.”

Adam restrained a sigh but nodded.  _Rocky, why do you have to be so thickheaded?_ Adam asked himself.  _If something’s bothering you, you need to tell me._  The memory of Rocky breaking down in their bathroom days ago flashed in his mind—followed by him freaking out this morning.

Before he got lost in that train of thought, he remembered the present.  Glancing at his students and then back at Rocky, he felt indecision grow in him.  His students were almost ready.  They had only a moment alone left at least.  If there had been sufficient time, Adam would have probed Rocky.  Normally he would trust Rocky to deal with his problem alone.  It was how he began dealing with any problem.

Unfortunately, given how frequently Jason had attacked, there was no time to be bogged down with anxiety.  Each of them had to be confident all of the time.  Even a shred of doubt could destabilize their fragile morale.  While none of the rangers mentioned it, and despite their apprehensions they strove to remain objective and alert.  If Jason rattled them further, they would be finished. 

In the handful of seconds remaining, Adam poised himself professionally as all sixteen of his students assembled in front of them.  Out of the corner of his eye, he notice Rocky had done the same.  “Are you going to be okay?” Adam whispered out of the corner of his mouth. 

Rocky took a second.  “Yeah,” he whispered.

Satisfied for the moment, Adam divided his students into pairs, based on who would challenge the other the best.

Meanwhile, Rocky remained ready to take any notes he wanted to peruse later.  The guilt that his preoccupation had distracted him from his students pressed against his chest.  He wanted to do right by them not only because respect was one of his academy’s core tenets, but also because these students had earned it.

As he scanned the pairs, Rocky rested his eyes on Jeremy, Jason’s younger cousin, for a few seconds.  Though Rocky bore no ill will toward Jeremy, viewing him as an innocent in this mess, Jeremy’s presence reminded Rocky of Jason—of how Jason had been before he changed.

Remembering where he was, Rocky announced to his students, “Begin.”

Glad to see his students performing well, Rocky’s attention kept diverting to Jeremy.  Even though Jason’s hair was black while Jeremy’s was highlighted brunette, the resemblance between the two cousins was striking.  While slimmer and more toned, Jeremy‘s body was beginning to broaden like his older cousin and his heart reminded Rocky of who Jason used to be.  As a teenager, Jason had possessed high morals with deep stores of courage.  In that moment, Rocky recalled a story Zack had told him a little over a week after Adam, Aisha, and he had discovered the rangers’ identities.  Goldar had used the Crystal of Nightmares to destroy the rangers’ self-confidence; thus nullifying their powers.

Suddenly remembering the present, Rocky blinked but did not stir further, not wanting others to have noticed.  This was his student’s time, not his.  Unfortunately, his ruminations were too important to put off. 

Jotting down some notes on his students, he ran through all of the details he could recall in the back of his mind.  According to Zack, the crystal had worked by showing them memories of defeat and helplessness in order to render their powers inert.  While Zack, Kimberly, Billy, and Trini, had tried to be brave when Zordon had teleported them to the cave the crystal was kept, doubt and fear conquered their fragmented courage.  Although filled with fear like his friends, Jason alone went after the crystal, challenged Goldar, and smashed the crystal.  He had thrived in a way the others had not.  If Jason could tap into courage while in a state of no confidence, so could Rocky.  He could because that was the epitome of courage.  As such, Rocky chose to look past his fear.

“Halt,” he called.  The pairs bowed and shook each other’s hands.  “Rotate.”  The column of students on Rocky’s left moved up while those on the right stood still.

“Begin.”

Just as before, Rocky continued ruminating.  There was more than just terror to his dream.  It was a message.  Jason wanted him for something.  And instinctually Rocky felt it wasn’t just to kill him.  At first he dubiously tossed this aside but then remembered Jason’s telepathic abilities.  _Maybe it is possible,_ he mused.  If that were so, then according to the night terror, avoiding it was not the right answer.  Jason would keep coming until Rocky submitted or died.  But submit to what?  Instead, Rocky would have to meet Jason alone and in secret.  The others were not a part of this.  That was clear.

“And halt,” he announced again after five minutes.  He looked up and down the table.  “Need to see anything else?” he asked Adam, Kathy and Brandon.

All three shook their heads.  “No, I’m good,” Adam said.

“Okay.  Face the front.”  The students pivoted to the instructors.  “Thank you,” Rocky resumed.  “Using the partners you selected, please take the number of boards you need from the pile on the table.  Each person must break a board with a strike and jump spinning kick.  We’ll begin with Kyle and Sandra.  Begin when ready.”  Stripping their sparing gear, the students readied for the event.

Because of the importance on preparation, this was a test of patience for the onlookers and participants.  One could not break an inch deep board without being confident.  Seeing his students excel at this, Rocky fueled himself with it, convincing himself that he was making the right decision with his night terror.  Acting now seemed too rash to him.  When Jeremy broke his board with a superb jump spinning hook kick, the students faced their instructors.  Keeping his lips neutral, he smiled inwardly.  Everyone in their group had passed.

The instructors rose, their hands clasped in front of them.  “This concludes our testing,” Adam announced.  “We look forward to seeing you at the Award Ceremony on Monday.  Stance!”  Everyone clapped to attention.  The instructors bowed and the students bowed back.  “Dismissed.”

As the students scattered, Adam muttered to Rocky, “Nice work with that.”

“Thanks.  I still have it in me.”

Adam nudged Rocky closer to the wall behind them.  “I was worried all morning.”

“Eh, sorry,” Rocky sighed, scratching the back of his head but not looking away.  “If you had the dream I had, you’d be freaking out too.”

Adam rested his hand on Rocky’s right shoulder, squeezing it.  “I’d like to hear about it.  But we have an appointment to get to.”

Rocky blew out a mock sigh.  “Just when you think you get a day off,” he commented.

“Come on,” Adam added, smiling while pushing him toward the door.  Over his shoulder, he called to the other instructors, “See you on Monday.”  The others waved at them.

 

* * *

 

 

When Rocky and Adam had teleported to a meadow a mile from Tommy’s house, both were surprised to see their friends lying scattered on the ground, rubbing bruises along their torsos and limbs.

None were morphed.  Standing Billy lurked on the side.  Resting on his knees, Tommy rubbed his forearms.  All the while, Sean stood calmly and centered in the eye of the group of friends, his hands resting behind his back.  He was no more than ten yards away from Rocky and Adam.

“I guess we missed the party,” Rocky remarked, noting Trini’s absence.  _She will come when she’s ready._

“Looks like you’re feeling better,” Adam said to Sean.

Gazing at them since they teleported in, Sean answered, “Thank you.  I was demonstrating the weaknesses in their styles.”

“Apparently, it works,” Rocky spoke.  “You alright, Richie?”

“Yeah, just a little winded,” he said, pushing himself to his feet.  “Ow!” he whispered, rubbing the side of his right calf.

“Dang, Sean; I thought I had you figured out,” Zack said, rubbing his left pectoral.

“Perhaps next time, Zack,” Sean offered.  Returning his focus to Adam and Rocky he said, “I’d be honored to compare my skills with yours.”

“Careful, guys,” Tommy called to Rocky and Adam.

“Are you ready to deal with two Martial Arts instructors?” Rocky challenged, his mood remaining steadily benevolent.

Sean bowed to them.  “You are instructors, but neither of you are masters yet.”

Premature annoyance pricked at Rocky’s pride.  Even though Sean was correct, he did not have to rub it in their faces.

“Though your academy is brilliant, I would argue it was begun hastily,” Sean added rubbing salt in the wound.

“Care to compare notes?” Rocky responded, smirking.

“The process was ours to go through,” Adam added, reasoning that this conversation was a test too.  “And your Samurai tactics won’t work here.  Our honor isn’t at stake today.”

“Well spoken, Adam,” Sean said, nodding to him.  “Let us continue then.”  He did not move.

Taking the cue, Adam and Rocky sprinted at him, poised to tackle him but ready to either dodge or defend, revealing nothing through their bodies.  Knowing that Sean was a better martial artist than them, they hoped to catch him off guard.

Unfortunately, Sean twist flipped over their heads.  Suddenly, a concentrated gust of wind, powerful enough to break down a locked door, slammed Rocky and Adam into the ground.  Before either of them could think about what happened, Sean yelled a _ki-ahh_ , and leaped into the air again.  Alerted by this, Rocky and Adam rolled away from each other and bounced to their feet just as Sean slammed his shins into the ground where their heads had been, spitting dirt in different directions.  Not wanting to give Sean a chance to rest or initiate another attack, both of them aimed perfect round kicks toward Sean’s back.  Sean ducked, letting Rocky and Adam’s feet snap over him.  Stepping through their kicks, they hop skipped to Sean’s front, staying at forty-five degrees of him.  Sean stood and walked toward them, clearly in control of this confrontation.  His hands remained at his side.  To Rocky and Adam’s shock, Sean’s eyes were shut.  They backed up, clear that their evaluations of Sean’s and Jason’s fight last Thursday were correct:  Sean was a master who was only toying with them.

However, Rocky and Adam had back up strategies for this.  Through their experiences and studies of ancient philosophies and martial arts, they had learned that everyone had a weakness; it was just a matter of finding out what it was.  Unfortunately, Sean had fought against Jason, Lord Zedd, Goldar, and Scorpina, while being fatigued and he still had not faltered.  Defeating someone like Sean would be highly improbable.  Doubt sprouted again within Rocky.

Adam attacked, snapping a hook kick at Sean’s head.  Sean rolled his head out of the way and punched at Adam’s chest.  Stepping backward, Adam parried it with a downward X block, and then rushed in with a knee to the solar plexus, attacking instinctively.  Sean batted it aside, knocking Adam out of his center of gravity.  Then he struck Adam in the back with his finger tips, sending him tumbling away from the fight.  Sean faced Rocky, hands at his side and his feet at shoulder width.

Rocky stared into Sean’s face, still in a fighting stance.  Surprise filled him at the precision in Sean’s attacks.  He glanced at Adam.  The black ranger did not stir.  Fear crept into Rocky.

“Do you wish to continue?” Sean asked, opening his eyes.

Rocky stared into Sean’s gray irises, into mirrors of himself and understood.  Sean had known of Rocky’s doubts—had known the entire time.  It was out of sheer courtesy that Sean did not press his help onto Rocky.  However this was the perfect time to do so and Sean knew this:  when Rocky was indecisive.  Rocky had thought that he was being smart but instead had yielded to his fear.  Just like when he had used his Super Zeo Zord to fight King Mondo to prove himself to the rest of the team that he was as worthy as Jason, Rocky had made the wrong decision in not turning to his friends— _or Adam_ , he thought.  _How did he know?_ Rocky muttered, questioning the master before him.

“Lord Zedd was correct yesterday,” Sean said.  Rocky refocused his vision on Sean, having lost himself in thought.  He did not know what Sean was referring to.  “It is possible to defeat me, Rocky.  Can you?”

Rocky gaped, caught in a haze nullifying all thought.  And then realization dawned and Rocky welcomed it.  Sean had not been attacking them but their will and confidence, proving the fragility of their team and morale.  Only in being better than they were could they beat Sean—and Jason.  “I understand,” Rocky said.

“Demonstrate it,” Sean instructed.

Immediately, Sean threw a flurry of punches and knifehand strikes at Rocky’s face.  Rocky immediately arced to the left.  Sean followed, thrusting his knees and shins into the assault.  At first Rocky was caught off guard by Sean’s kicks and knee thrusts, but then Rocky began parrying and slapping them with all four limbs, his mind, hands, and eyes quickening.  Pleased by this, Sean punched faster, slapping and tapping the edges of Rocky’s face.  After successfully blocking one out of five hits, Rocky ducked.  Spinning out of the way, he attacked Sean’s side with a jumping sidekick.

Using only his left hand, Sean smacked it aside, throwing Rocky off balance.  Using the inertia, Rocky flipped around in the air.  He landed crouching low to the ground on all fours, facing Sean.  Without waiting, Sean fired a side kick at the top of Rocky’s right shoulder.  Digging his knees into the ground for support, Rocky sprang up and caught Sean’s side kick with both hands before it hit him.

“Nice,” Sean uttered.

Undistracted by Sean’s trick, Rocky sprang to his feet, still holding Sean’s foot, and snapped a round kick at Sean’s abs.  Without losing his balance, Sean hurdled two inches over Rocky’s kick and slammed a sidekick into Rocky’s gut.  Gasping—and releasing Sean’s leg—Rocky staggered backward finding his balance.  The staggering cost him.

Sean kept coming and Rocky continued holding his own, never surrendering.  Instinct and conscious thought blurred together with intuition.  Still, Sean kept landing attacks through Rocky’s defenses.  However, Rocky adapted.  Even though this contest was friendly, the contact was more than light but not heavy.  Bruises blared with pain along Rocky’s forearms as they exchanged blows.  Sometimes Rocky got lucky and landed one, but Sean always had the upper hand.  Doubt began leaking again into Rocky’s courage.

“Do not give up!” Sean yelled, slamming a twin palm heel strike into Rocky’s ribs, thrusting him backwards.

Caught off guard, Rocky tripped over his feet.  Falling, he caught himself again on all fours.  Without pausing to think, he bounced back up, and—before he saw it—caught Sean’s punch to his face.  He stared into Sean’s eyes, expecting another attack.

Instead Sean halted, surveying Rocky.  “Well done, Rocky,” he said.

Rocky blinked, still clutching Sean’s hand.

“Would you release my hand?” Sean asked.

Flummoxed, Rocky did.  Smiling, Sean continued surveying Rocky.  “Your mind… your body… and your spirit were fused in that moment.”

Bewildered, Rocky released Sean’s hand.  His floated to his side.  Rocky glanced at the sidelines.  His friends beamed at him and Adam’s was the brightest.

 

* * *

 

 

Adorned in a skin hugging vest of crimson leather and loose black leather pants, Jason smirked from Zedd’s balcony.  Alone, he relaxed in the lunar air, listening to the silence of the empty chamber and the lunar landscape.

Still fuming over his failure in killing Sean, Lord Zedd had locked himself in his chambers.

Jason allowed this.  For such an old being, Lord Zedd could at times be annoyingly unwise but also amusing.  The fact that Zedd had not reduced the castle to ashes was proof that he was retaining his discipline.  Not to mention loyalty.  Jason could wait for Lord Zedd to deal with his demons.

As he waited, he turned his gaze back to Rocky.  Almost laughing, malice and delight swirled throughout him, echoing in his aura.  Everything was falling into place now.

Still, he remained cautious and patient, waiting for events to unfold.  Despite his psychic abilities, immense powers, and methodical plans, the future was difficult to bend to anyone’s will.

 

* * *

 

 

“You achieved a great victory today, Rocky,” Sean said, sensing the others approaching.

“But I didn’t beat you,” Rocky admitted, looking away and dropping his head.

“That was not the point.  Merely a goal.  Hold on to your victory here—even if you do not understand it now.  It will be needed again.”

“So what, can you see the future?” Kimberly asked, now close enough to hear their voices.

“Sometimes I can,” Sean said, smiling at her.  “But I do not live this life based on what I see and do not see.  To fight this war, you must be better than you are now.  Even better than you once were.”

“Sean, we’re defenders not warriors,” Zack objected.  Power Rangers as a whole never initiated a battle plan unless their villains had launched an attack or plan first.

“Indeed, but by fighting Jason’s minions you are participating in a larger war.”

“How big are we talking about?” Kimberly asked, stepping forward.

“During the years of our truce, Jason forged armies and reconquered the M-51 and Vicca galaxies.”

Glaring, Rocky looked away.  Once again, annoyance and anxiety secreted into his muscles, knotting them. Torn between the two emotions, he curled his hands into a fist, digging his nails into his palm.  _And he was Earth’s first Red Ranger,_ he snarled, his aggression drying his throat.  Taking a deep breath, he blew out his tension, calming his mind once more.

“What about Mirinoi and Aquitar?” Tommy piped up, adrenaline pumping his heart faster.  “KO-35?  Triforia?”

“They are safe for now but they will be attacked within the next six months,” Sean answered.  “Several systems along the opposite edge of our galaxy have surrendered to Jason.  The Lost Galaxy and Aquitian Rangers liberated a few but they are being invaded again.  Aquitar will be the first of the ranger planets to be attacked.”

“Delphine has already installed preparations against Jason’s armies,” Billy explained, trying to ease his friends’ growing apprehension.  “But they’re still only one team of rangers so Aquitar now has an army.”

Alarm jumped into Adam’s throat as he wondered how much of Aquitar’s culture would remain because of this.  He had always admired their Global peace.

Kimberly whirled around, looking at Tommy.  “It’s like Dark Specter’s invasion of the universe all those years ago.”

“Except slower,” Rocky offered.

Kimberly nodded, distancing herself from those memories. 

“Jason’s forces are not as expansive as Dark Specter’s were,” Sean elaborated.

Relief jumped into the rangers upon hearing this news.  However Kimberly added, “Still… nothing could stop Astronema when she invaded Earth.”

Richie shuddered, remembering the swarm of over a thousand Velocifighters that had descended over Earth, demolishing everything in their path.   Even cities such as London, Cairo, and Beijing had been attacked.

Meanwhile, Tommy nodded in agreement, sighing internally.  _Nothing… except Zordon’s death,_ he thought.  Although Zordon had died a martyr to the side of Good, Tommy, like many other rangers, believed the sacrifice had been too much.  They had lost more than their old mentor and a terrific leader of the forces of Good.  The rangers had lost a loyal and true friend that day.  Even now, that sadness pinched their hearts, mingled with remorse that they could not have done more.

“Because Earth had relied so much on the power rangers, our militaries were caught unprepared,” Sean elaborated.

“That can’t happen this time!” Adam chimed in.

Zack nodded.  “We need to warn the Army, Marines—everyone.”

“Before we do that, _we_ must be ready,” Sean said.  He faced Tommy.  “Do you remember what Zordon said to you before you sent him to another dimension?”

Tommy pulled his head up and looked into Sean’s eyes, distant remorse tugging at his throat.  Unlike the others present, Tommy had made his power ranger debut as a mind slave to Rita.  During his enslavement he had snuck into the Command Center a second time.  Although he accepted what had happened as beyond his control, the scar of those events remained etched upon his memory.  He straightened up.  “He said that it was impossible for me to defeat the power rangers.”

“Which was correct,” Sean supplied.  “It would take more than an evil power ranger to do that.”

“You said there is no such thing,” Tommy countered.  “What about Astronema’s Psycho Rangers?” he inquired, remembering (the Red Space Ranger) Andros’ account of them.  The question had been bugging him since Thursday night.  Merciless and devoid of humanity, all of the Psycho Rangers had very little self-control—some less than others— in governing their obsessions to destroy their Ranger counterparts.

“I am still correct,” Sean answered.  “The Psycho Rangers were artificial and thus do not count.  Therefore, the attacker would have to be of a sort in which your defeat is possible.”

Wonder silenced the others.  Billy remained quiet.  His friends needed to discover this answer on their own.  The days of Zordon—or another mentor—supplying most of their answers had abated long before.

“Possible?” Rocky muttered.  And then an epiphany struck him, quivering his knees.  He steadied them.  “Jason’s a Ninjetti.”

Everyone else looked at him, some gawking while others merely stared.  Kimberly sucked in a mouthful of air, and then blew it out, trying to ignore the lightheadedness swelling inside her cranium.

“Very good, Rocky,” Sean said.  “Yes, he is.”

Shock fell upon the group.  By merely glancing at their faces Sean saw the turmoil coiling within each of his teammates.

“Okay, that changes things,” Kimberly muttered.

“Tell me about it,” Zack commented.

“Is he a power ranger also?” Richie asked.

“He has no morphing powers, but still embodies the nature of a power ranger,” Sean answered.  “However, I will not lie to you.  Facing Jason in combat will be a challenge in itself.  You must be ready for that.”

“How?” Tommy asked.

“By following one of the first rules of the Martial Arts:  know yourself.  Divide into pairs via morphing order.  Spar as if you were fighting until I say stop.”

Surprise surfaced within Zack, Kimberly, Tommy, and Richie.

Rocky noted that Sean did not specify whether they could morph.  However, if Sean was testing their endurance, then morphing would be cheating.  Believing that Sean would not let them pass out from exhaustion, Rocky decided to not use his morpher.

Meanwhile, Richie crept toward Rocky, completely relaxing his shoulders and allowing his limbs to become fluid.  He breathed in, catching any worries with his breath, and blew them out.  Although he was leaner than Rocky, he did not know which of them was faster, more agile, or stronger.   _Best to go in loose,_ he thought, stopping six feet from Rocky.  They bowed to each other and flowed into karate fighting stances.  “You ready?” he asked.

Rocky smiled.

Seeing this, anxiety wafted away from Richie into the wind.  Instead, anticipation inflated him.  Both of them had been waiting for over three years to spar the other (mostly because they kept putting it off).  Now, there were no excuses or reasons to distract them.

“Begin,” Sean called out, firing a lightning quick jab-round kick-jump, spinning hook kick combo opener at Zack.  The Silver Ranger leapt out of the way, deflecting the decoys.  While Sean was not fighting at the same caliber as he had against Jason, he was still providing a challenge for Zack.  Glad for the challenge, Zack smiled internally, dancing away from Sean’s attacks.  In the years since high school, his Hip-Hop-Kiddo had only gotten better.  _Just not good enough for this guy—whoa!_

Meanwhile, Richie began, attacking Rocky’s torso and then his lower legs.

Rocky parried what he could and did not fuss if Richie landed a hit within his defenses.  All of them needed to know each other’s limits, strengths, and weaknesses.  Exhilaration filled Rocky as the contest continued.  Sometimes he landed an attack while others he had to adjust during executions based on Richie’s movements.

Still they kept going.  Although at points, they would halt, reaching a temporary stalemate.  Neither of them relaxed.  In those moments they focused on each other, always alert whenever Sean would stop.  He did not.  Gritting their teeth, they continued.

Minutes later, Rocky regained his footing after Richie had knocked him out of his center of gravity.  During the delay Richie leapt into the air, somersaulted forward, and fired a double legged kick to Rocky’s chest.  However, Rocky backed out of Richie’s grasp.  Upon landing, Richie fired a sliding side kick at an opening in Rocky’s lower chest.  Rocky moved backward and tapped the kick to the ground.  Richie tilted forward into a lunge and then ducked into a split underneath Rocky’s jump spinning hook kick.  Swinging his feet around, he rolled out of the way and leapt to his feet.  Excitement and adrenaline fueled him on.

Time slipped by.  The two continued bouncing around each other, exploiting weaknesses and testing each other’s defenses.  After dodging a tornado kick, Rocky swiped his brow with the back of his hand, grunting as the sweat from his hand saturated his brow even more.  Salt drizzled into his eyes.  Richie kept coming, sweeping his legs around at Rocky’s feet.  Rocky jumped over them, and then, landing in the same spot, crouched, and pelted a punch underneath Richie’s armpit.  Groaning while blocking Rocky’s next round kick Richie cursed his mistake in leaving an opening.  Richie retreated several paces.

Rocky did not follow, fatigue slowing his limbs. Instead he regained his composure, drawing strength from within him in one breath.  Richie came back at him with a triple punch combo, but Rocky, noticing Richie’s slight opening (no doubt because of fatigue), crouched, dug his hands into the ground, and fired a bicycle kick at Richie’s legs.  Losing his footing, Richie staggered.  Rocky took the initiative and tackled Richie to the ground.

Acting on instinct, Richie tucked his legs around Rocky, and, using his momentum, grappled Rocky’s upper torso and swung him over, pushing himself up and away from him.

Rocky rolled back over his shoulder and bounced to his feet.  A cramp stabbed through Rocky’s left calf upon landing.  Favoring his right leg more, he clutched his chest, drawing in deep breathes at a time.  Both halted again, Richie sucking in air also.  Rocky wanted to maneuver to a better position but his legs barely held him up.

Around them, the sounds of their friends’ wheezes and grunts filled the air.  Within Rocky, exhaustion battered through his adrenaline, weakening his body.  Hell, his strength was already gone but he was still standing, still breathing—still capable of continuing.

Or maybe he was not.  Seemingly an hour ago (he was unsure of how much time had passed) he had vowed that he would be better than Jason—that he would not surrender to his doubts.  As a Red Ranger, he was obligated to do so.  But where was he going to get the strength to keep fighting?  It had to exist.  _I’m a Ninjetti for crying out loud!_ he growled within.  Zack had sprinted around an entire neighborhood, Billy had torn apart Lord Zedd’s force field, Tommy had broken free of Jason’s mind control, and Kimberly had uncovered a new power within her.  What was his ability?

Breathing more regularly now, Richie wiped his brow with his hand.  A drop of sweat fell into his eye, stinging it for an irritating instant.  _For a sparring match this is intense,_ he thought.  A bruise swelled into existence underneath his armpit.  _A little too intense_ , he added, squinting at Rocky.  Steadily throughout the fight, Rocky’s attacks had gotten harsher.  _What’s going on, Rocky?_

Sean was still silent, further fueling Rocky to keep going.  Unfortunately, sweat flooded his skin, saturating most of his _gi_.  He blinked as much sweat out of his eyes as possible.  It only helped a little.  Centering himself spiritually, mentally, and physically, he dug into his core.  _I can’t give up!_ he chanted.  _I won’t be cornered._   Still no further energy had come to him.  Frustration ignited within him, signaling the return of some energy.  _Gotta love the human body,_ he smirked.  _I’m back._   As Richie advanced, Rocky welcomed him, tightening his face.

The sun blared down on them, Rocky back flipped over Richie’s inverted crescent kick, landing with arms already folded in front of his chest in an X block, halting Richie’s spinning heel kick.  Shoving Richie’s foot out of the way, he snapped a backfist strike at Richie’s jaw joint.

On instinct, Richie seized Rocky’s strike.  Surprise barreled through him yielding to shock.  Gaping into Rocky’s face, he cried, “Rocky, what the heck are you doing?”

Furrowing his brow with increasing fury, Rocky swung his back knee at Richie’s lower torso.

Still holding on to Rocky’s arm, Richie swatted the attack away with one leg. “Rocky!” he cried again, shaking Rocky’s arm.

Not listening, Rocky swung his free hand around in a hook punch, 90 degrees from Richie’s temple.  Unable to block it, Richie ducked under it, releasing Rocky.  Still caught in the moment, Rocky followed through with an inverted Crescent kick, spun around and rammed a snapping side kick into Richie’s solar plexus.

Caught unprepared, Richie collapsed backwards, gasping for breath.

However Rocky did not stop.  Fighting on instinct and incorporating his agility, he knifehand chopped the ground, missing Richie’s shoulder by only a second.  However in that second, Richie had spun around and round kicked Rocky in the chin.  Enraged, Rocky tackled Richie to the ground, right arm poised to smash through Richie’s skull.

Guided by instinct, Richie placed his left hand on Rocky’s chest, gasping and screaming, _NO!_   Through the physical connection, his alarm raced into Rocky’s brain.

It was enough.  Rocky paused, shock stunning him.  He twitched his head from side to side.  Adrenaline and fury now fleeing his body, he loosened his attacking arm.  Staggering backward, Rocky gawked at his hand transfixed by it.  After several seconds he raised his head, gaping at Richie.  “What just happened?”

“You tell me,” Richie answered, surveying his friend.  “You okay?”

Rocky thought for a few seconds.  “Yeah, I—I’m not sure what happened.   I blacked out—I was so frustrated… mad!”  He looked away, alarm pounding within his head.  _How did I lose control just then?_  “How long have we been sparing?” he asked, buying time to think.

Richie glanced at his watch.  “Almost thirty minutes.”

Rocky lifted his eyebrows.  “Wow.  No wonder I feel hallow right now.”

From a number of yards away, Sean called out, “Stop!”  Richie and Rocky relaxed and turned toward Sean.

Rocky glanced around at his friends.  Sunlight twinkled off the layer of sweat and dirt staining their brows, necks and arms—including Billy.  However, Billy held himself upright, resting a hand on Kimberly as she caught her breath.  He too was breathing deeply, more from the polluted air than anything else.  Though Sean was sweating, he appeared slightly winded.  A yard from him, Zack stood in horse stance, bent over with his hands on his knees, drawing in pulls of breath at a time.  Sean gazed at each of them.  “You’ve done well—all of you.”  Sean lingered his gaze on Rocky for a second longer.

Failure sprouted within Rocky.  Rocky peered back into that neutral face.

“Stretch and rest.  All of you earned it.”


	4. Choices

Eleven minutes later, Richie materialized in his foyer—glad that his legs had not given out.  Sweat still soaked his neck, and torso, flooding his shirt.  He gasped, trying to recall a time he had been this physically exhausted.  Nothing came to him.  Although he was a talented Martial Artist, he had never had to fight for his life.  Richie shook his head, smiling.  “And I thought I was tough on my kids,” he sighed in breathy laughter, thinking of his students. 

He looked about.  He brought his communicator to his mouth, tapping Sean’s button.  “I made it back and everything’s alright.”

 _“I’m glad to hear that,”_ Sean replied.  _“I’ll see you after lunch.”_

“Sure.”  Richie sighed again, dreading what else Sean had planned for them. 

Then his thoughts returned to Rocky.  That change over Rocky had been frightening.  Obviously the others had not noticed or they would have dealt with it.  Surprise and uncertainty had held Richie back from disclosing it to them.  However, even if they had noticed, no one had taken the time to deal with it.  He wondered why.  Still disgruntled, Richie hoped that Rocky gained peace with his demons—whatever they were.  None of them could afford being distracted like that during a battle.

In that moment, Richie stopped, intuition pulling his awareness.  Knowing before looking, he turned and pinned his eyes onto Trini in the living room.  This surprised him.  During his sparing match, he had sensed the fury burning within and around Rocky, pummeling his gut.  Until now, he had not sensed anyone else; including the other rangers.  ESP was a strange concept for him to understand in some cases.  Perhaps his brain needed a rest after using an untapped skill.

These thoughts passing subconsciously, he stared at her, resting his hands on his hips so as to keep his chest open.  While honored and proud to be a power ranger, he knew in his heart that Trini needed to be bearing this power coin instead of him.  It had been a good decision at the time, but if Trini kept refusing The Power or their trauma, she would continue withering, killing her spirit.  Richie did not wish that.

“You’re back,” she uttered, staring at the floor with her faced turned away.

Richie stirred.  _Had she sensed me?  How could she?_   “Yeah,” Richie said instead, stepping toward her.  “Have you eaten?”

“Is that all anybody cares about?” she groaned.

“We care about your health.”

Trini reared up her head, glaring into Richie’s face.  “My _health_ is _shit!_ ” she hissed.  “My husband is the Monarch of Evil for God’s sake!  It’s all I can think of!” she finished in a yell.

“And you chose to hide.”  Hesitation clenched Richie’s intestines but he would not turn back now that he had said what had been on his mind all day.  He knew that Trini had heard him.

At this, Trini boiled with anger, squeezing her mouth shut but her head twitched ever more.

Sensing the heat from her anger, Richie held his ground, remaining objective.  “You have the choice of defying him—why hide?”

“Richie, he wants to murder me, you idiot!” she bellowed.

Richie inhaled and exhaled, drawing strength from the oxygen.  She was trying to distract him.  _Thank God for yoga on the weekends,_ he quoted, having said that many times before.  “If he wanted you dead, wouldn’t he have done it by now?” he asked keeping his voice soft.

She looked away, firming her chest and shoulders.

“You’re depressed and powerless, Trini.”

“I’m still empathic, Richie!” Trini grumbled under her breath.

Richie paused for a moment, digesting her news.  “How’s that possible?  You gave your powers to me.”

“That’s not how it works,” she added, still not looking at him.

Richie shook his head.  “Still, if he teleported in right now, I don’t think I could stop him!  What else could he be waiting for?”

She did not answer but Richie kept staring at her, hoping she would talk.  Neither malice nor aggression inspired his position.  Even though he knew this blunt course of action was the wrong way to keep the conversation up, he hoped that she felt the truth behind his compassion.  Still, he felt her anger churning within her like an active volcano’s caldera.  Despite this, Richie would not allow her to drown in her emotions.  Already advancing toward her, Richie sat on the couch still staring at Trini.  He breathed.  “Trini, is it something he’s waiting for you to do?”

“I want nothing to do with him!” she growled.

“At the cost of your life?” Richie gasped.  “Trini, you _can_ get through this!”

“Don’t preach to me about what you don’t know!” she snapped.

“Would you help me know?” he asked, imploring with his eyes.

She faced him, silently cursing herself for doing so.  His eyes, although heavy with fatigue, twinkled with kindness, calling her trust.

“You came here to be safe,” Richie continued.  “But you can’t give up.”

“I told you why I can’t!” she snapped.

Gently, Richie shook his head.  “You didn’t explain why you won’t.”  Which was true.  She had not elaborated on hers and Jason’s back story.  Instead she had only mentioned the main points.

Rage scorched Trini’s throat.  “You’ve never been depressed, have you, Richie?  Watching your life crumble and be unable to stop it?  Hope dangling in front of you, out of your reach as a chain lashes you to the bottom of a lagoon?  Throughout it all you keep breathing and choking without passing out.”

Richie did not back down even though his face sizzled under Trini’s rage.  Instead he kept staring at her.  And then he gaped, surprise shattered his fortress of bravery.  Calling it back he clung to his courage.  “How could you forget?” he asked, his voice shaking.

Trini pulled her head back, widening her eyes.  Surprise seized her bosom.  Apprehension bubbled underneath it.  Not only had she heard Richie’s comment but she also felt his sorrow stab her heart.  Curiosity stirred within her.  “Remember what?” she asked, forgetting her anger.

Richie pushed back the urge to hold her face in his hand and to stroke her hair—to hold her close to his skin so tightly that no darkness could break their bliss.  Regardless of her rape, she was still a married woman.  Now was not the time for those fantasies (especially from a legal standpoint).  Instead, it was time for truths:  hers and his.  He owed her at least his even if she was unwilling to divulge hers.  “I’ve loved you since I first saw you,” he finally admitted after all these years, remembering how they had exchanged heartfelt glances between one another as sophomores.  Even after she had married Jason, he had never stopped loving her.  “Being at your wedding and party were the proudest and saddest hours of my life.”

The news almost stopped her heart as remorse squeezed her lungs.  She shut her eyes.  A minute tear crawled through her arid eyelids, and fell, tracing her cheek.

Richie brushed it away with his thumb, bringing his hand back to his side.

Opening her eyes, she looked into his.  Novice, though he was, he felt her mental touch upon his mind.  Instead of shrinking away, he allowed her presence.  She was searching, feeling for something.  Her lip twitched as she tried to smile.  “I thought—I thought you only admired me… like a crush.”

Richie shook his head, still staring into her eyes.  “You were never just a crush.”  He wanted to kiss her but he knew she would not want it.  Plus time, duty, and honor tugged at his heart.  He only had thirty-five minutes before he had to return to the field for more training.

Before he turned away, he noticed her communicator on the table.  It had not moved from where he had placed it earlier that day.

Pelted with shame and unable to say anymore, Richie pulled himself away, turned around, and walked out of the room and entered the kitchen, dragging the iron weight of his guilt with him.   _This is so unfair,_ he confessed, his knees bending more than they should.  He straightened his neck.

Silently cursing, he fixed both of them sandwiches.

 _Sandwiches,_ he thought.

 _Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Trini sitting at the Juice Bar, her nose buried in the menu.  He smiled, turning back to the pretzel he was making._ Strange, _he thought._   Her friends are usually with her.  _But today they were absent._

_“Hey, Richie?” she asked._

_Blushing, Richie spun around and handed a customer their food.  “Decide what you wanted?” he asked, hoping that his new tan helped hide his warm cheeks._

_“Well,” she began, setting the menu down.  Leaning forward, she pressed her forearms onto the table, feigning desperation.  “I kinda don’t see what I want on it,” she added, tapping and pointing the menu._

_Richie cocked an eyebrow.  “Really?  I was wondering why you asked for one.  Thought you’d already have it memorized.”_

_She blushed now.  “I was hoping.”_

_He leaned in to her.  “So… what would you like?”_

_She sighed.  “This is going to sound very odd but could you make me a toasted peanut butter, banana, and honey sandwich?  I’ve been craving one all week.”_

_Breaking into a smile, Richie breathed again.  “Yeah, we could do that!  Easily.  Ernie,” he called over his shoulder into the back, “Could you toss me some peanut butter?  We’re out up here.”_

_“Sure thing, Richie.  Give me a sec.  We ordered too many pickles this time around!”_

_Richie rolled his eyes with habitual cheerfulness at Ernie’s frustration.  Even when Ernie was in a bad mood he could make a person laugh._ That’s Ernie for you, _he thought.  “Alright, I can wait,” Richie said, his voice vibrating with mirth.  He turned back to Trini.  “Shouldn’t take long.”_

_“Thanks,” she replied._

The dazzle in her eyes was what he remembered the most.  Though he did not have a Panini toaster, he toasted three Trini sandwiches on his stove.  Once done he sat one before Trini with a glass of water.

For a moment he felt like the fifteen year old that had moved to Angel Grove all those years ago and had been embarrassed by his crush.  Now he felt better and worse because his feelings had deepened.  Nothing in the world was more tantalizing than wanting to hold a loved one and the other not wanting your company.  Still he gazed at her, remembering how her hair had glowed in the summer sunlight like a white halo on a certain day in Angel Grove Park all those years ago during a picnic with her friends.  Even now he saw the remnants of that halo, only a hairline wide, was there.  He prayed that she would tap into that grace once more.  With a heavy and fractured heart he escaped the room to his lunch, sniffling once he passed the doorframe.

Trini did not look up.

Alone and out of her sight he leaned back onto the kitchen wall, pressing his weight into it.  He squeezed his eyes shut.  Hunger growled through his stomach.  Stirring he lifted his right hand, pressing the general button of his communicator.  “Haley?” he asked thought it.

 _“I’m here,”_ she answered Tommy’s Lab. _“It’s good to meet you finally.”_   _And to hear someone else’s voice for that matter,_ she silently complained.  _Being stuck in this basement for close to six hours is_ certainly _not my cup of tea!_

“Hopefully, we can do it in person sometime.”

“ _I look forward to that.”_

“Listen, I want you to keep a close eye on Trini.  The rest of us won’t be at our best today—”

_“I’m still monitoring her—and the others.  Besides I have a full lunch and snacks with me—and a toilet nearby—so I don’t need to go anywhere.  If it makes you feel better though, nothing happened at your home while the rest of you were training.”_

“Thank you.”  Gratitude and relief swung through him.

_“My pleasure.  By the way, Richie, you did well today.”_

He smiled, persuaded by the sentiment.  Still, concern scratched the hairs on the back of his neck.  “Haley, have you met Rocky before?”

_“No.  Tommy’s mentioned him a few times.  If something’s bothering him, he’ll let us know sooner or later.  Remember, he is a power ranger.”_

“So was Jason,” Richie said.

_“True, but Rocky’s not Jason.”_

Minutes later Richie returned to the field.

 

* * *

 

 

Rocky’s stomach was still coiling into knots.  He peered at Adam a few yards away (who was talking with Kimberly) uncertainty scratching at him while a breeze of anxiety whirled within him.  Having already devoured his lunch in five minutes, he wanted to walk this off.  Instead he sat, slowly hunching forward in wonderment.

 _What am I becoming?_ he thought, still replaying the final moments of his battle with Ritchie.  He had never been that angry before.  Never.

He snorted a chuckle.  This entire week had been a drawn out game of never-have-I-ever.  Except this was not a game.  It had never been.  Instead it had been dragged out to survive or die scenario.  Under the pretense of sharpening their skills as martial artists, they were training to kill their former friend.

“This is madness,” Rocky grunted under his breath.

“It sure is,” Jason answered from his side.

Rocky whirled around but Jason was not there.  Neither fading flame nor the scent or sight of wafting smoke was there.  “How did—?” he asked, whipping his head around.  “Guys, come here!”

“What’s goin’ on?” Tommy asked, jogging over with the others.

Immediately, Rocky tapped his communicator.  “Haley, was Jason just standing beside me?”

_“I didn’t see him there.  And there’s been no change in the energy output in the area.”_

For half of a second, relief bounced within Rocky’s stomach only to be squashed by doubt.  _Was I imagining that?_ he wondered.

“I sensed his presence,” Sean commented.  To Rocky, it felt like an answer to his question.

“I didn’t want to hear that,” Kimberly said, glancing over her shoulder.

“Lord Zedd and Rita always used to watch us,” Adam reminded her.  “It makes sense that Jason would too.  Make us unnerved ’cause he’s the one doing it.”

“Psychological warfare,” Tommy said.

“Exactly.”

Alert but nervous, Richie kept silent.

Billy surveyed the scene.  “I don’t feel anything.”

“There was only a wafting trace of his essence, Billy; difficult to detect.”

“I see.”

“There is no immediate danger as of now,” Sean continued.

“Seems as though there’s always danger,” Adam interjected, glancing at Rocky.  Their eyes met, sharing each other’s concern for the other.  Rocky tried to say thank you with his face but felt he failed.  He opened his mouth to talk but Zack cut in.

“Yeah, at least when we were teens it didn’t bother us as much.”

“I could do with a bit of that right now,” Kimberly sighed.

“Ignorance is bliss?”

“Yeah.”

“Rangers,” Sean interrupted pausing for a breath, “We should continue.  We must not let Jason rule our decisions.”

“I agree,” Billy said.  Turning Sean and he advanced to the field’s center.  Rocky followed.

Zack, Tommy, Kimberly, and Richie did not move yet.

Turning, Rocky glanced at his friends.  He understood, feeling his anxiety creep up within him again.

Although everyone present had demonstrated that they would not surrender yesterday, they could not disregard the wounds that Jason had imparted on them.

The Power Rangers, as an idea, were a symbol of the highest ideals of Good.  Honor, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, wisdom, resourcefulness, self-control, confidence, courage, and indomitable spirit were most of those with the most important being to love.  Those that became power rangers embodied those ideals for how could one defend Good without believing in and being good?

Jason had known all of those traits and had respected all of his comrades and friends every day he had known them.  In the last week Jason had used that knowledge to fracture their team repeatedly.  To simply destroy their team spirit would require more than spells and attacks.  As such the team needed to constantly remind themselves to persevere with confidence, benevolence, and courage.

And so they did that now while walking back to the center of the field.  Sean followed them.  All of their past villains had observed and studied them before and every other ranger team that had existed.  It was nothing new.  Yet even though they tapped into their courage, they could not eviscerate their anxieties.  That would only come with time and perseverance.

As they walked, Rocky wiped the sweat from the back of his neck, hoping he was not pale.  Hearing nobody comment on it, he did not ask.  Still doubt gnawed at him.  _I was the only one who heard Jason’s voice.  What’s that mean?_   Desperation mounting within him, he focused all of his intent onto Sean, burrowing at him with his eyes.  _Sean, if you can hear me, please tell me if I’m in danger,_ he begged.

 _What further danger are you referring to?_ Sean asked in kind without stopping or looking at Rocky in order to not worry the others further and to respect Rocky’s privacy.

Rocky hesitated.  _Does he know?_ he wondered, following the Green Ranger with his eyes.  Sean did not respond to this.  Shaking his head, Rocky kept walking with his friends.

Once in the center, Sean addressed the others.  “Rangers, you’ve seen me conjure my katana without being morphed.”  Holding his right hand at his hip, he conjured his weapon, sheath and all in that hand.  “Each of you can do the same with your weapons.  Concentrate, draw on your morphing powers, and do so.”

Billy reached behind his waist, grasped open air, and withdrew his power lance in staff mode. 

Intrigue swept through Kimberly.  Reaching behind her, she concentrated.  One after the other they succeeded.

“Practice as you wish,” Sean instructed.

“Hey, Richie,” Zack called out, flashing his stylin’ smile, “how about we see what these twin blades can do?”

Looking up from his daggers, Richie smiled.  “You’re on.  I’ve never used these before.”

“How about we try one at a time?”

Adam walked up to Rocky.  “Rocky?” he asked wrapping an arm around Rocky’s shoulders.  At Adam’s touch Rocky shivered.  “You alright?” Adam asked, peering at him.

Rocky paused, uncertainty and surprise blaring within him.  Again, he wondered why he was so jumpy.  It was Adam—his lover.  There was no rational reason for Rocky to be scared of him and yet Rocky could not shake the dreaded anxiety that a legion was after him.  “Hopefully I will be,” Rocky replied, shrugging and forcing a smile.  Even though it reached his eyes, it was only skin deep and lasted no more than two seconds.  He felt guilty at not confiding with Adam but he knew that Adam trusted him.

“Let’s go over here,” Rocky added, walking about twelve feet away from the rest of the team.

Still eyeing him with concern, Adam followed.

Rocky turned around, holding his sword vertically in front of his chest.  “Ready?” he asked.

Adam nodded, staring into Rocky’s eyes from no more than ten feet away.

Both breathed in, and then side stepped in a tight circle, echoing the Samurai tactics they had studied and learned.  This was how they sparred predominately, though they usually both used swords or kendo sticks.  Rocky raised his tip, spreading his arms apart, his right hand pulled back at his jaw level whilst aiming the Power Sword’s tip at Adam’s heart.  He dipped into a back stance, equalizing his weight and energy.  Adam continued sidestepping, with the head of his Ax resting near his right shin.  While his posture appeared more casual than Rocky’s, Adam shifted his weight with each step he took.

Had they done this a week ago, neither of them would be worrying about injuring the other.  Unfortunately snapshots of Rocky’s nightmare continued flashing in his mind.  Plus, a small yet all too real anxiety that he would hurt Adam swelled within also.  He tried to ignore it.

Just as Rocky watched him, Adam surveyed Rocky.  _Attack me, Rocky,”_ Adam encouraged, knowing full well that Rocky would not hear his thoughts.  _Take the initiative._

Frustration grew within Rocky and he stepped forward once—twice—and swung.  Adam swung upward, jabbing the head of his Ax against Rocky’s Power Sword and then swung the blade down at Rocky’s torso.  Rocky blocked it with his sword, pressing against Adam’s force.  However Adam had the better balance.  Dipping forward, he bunted the Sword, knocking Rocky off balance a bit and swung at Rocky’s left shoulder with only a twist of the wrist.  Bunting it, Rocky scampered away, possessed by terror.

“Rocky, it’s just training,” Adam called out, standing still.

As if the voice itself were an elixir of sanity, Rocky halted several yards away, panting and sweating a steady stream through his shirt.  He avoided looking at his teammates.

“Come on.  You attack first.”

Anxiety and anticipation bounced within Rocky.  He turned, gaping at Adam.  _Come on, Rocky,_ he told himself, _you have a task to do._   _So do it!_  Spurred by the momentary discipline, he studied his partner.  Squeezing the hilt of his sword, he crouched into a low sitting stance.  If he attacked Adam from the front, Adam would neutralize his attack.  Adam was in a perfect position.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking too hard,” Adam continued, smirking.  “Last time that happened, you ended up in the hospital.”

Rocky shook his head.  If this had been a fight he would have lost.  _What is wrong with me?!_  He needed to focus, he needed to be calm.  However the frustration he had been battling all day began boiling under his skin.  _No!_ he decreed.  _I won’t listen to you!_ he bellowed at his doubt.

Across the meadow, Sean smiled internally.

Rocky shut his eyes, breathing in deeply.  His lungs smiled as he filled them with fresh supplies of oxygen.  Searching for the calm within, he recalled the weeks he and Adam had meditated atop of Angel Grove Falls during sunrise.    The sound of it filled his ears, soothing him from within—quelling the tension within his shoulders.

He and Adam had trained in sword combat for the better part of the past decade.  Whereas Adam was more gifted with the bo or staff weapons, Rocky had developed a talent with sword wielding.  A sword in his hands was natural to him— _no doubt the same could be said about Jason,_ his thoughts interrupted.  _My thoughts are of no one else but myself now,_ he chanted, rising above the tantalizing lure of frustration.  Wading in a lagoon of calm, Rocky listened inwardly as his confidence rose to the service.  Though it did not eviscerate his doubt, he encouraged his confidence, letting it swell within him.  Tossing his worries to the wind, he embraced the moment: weapons training with Adam.  Nothing else mattered.  Rocky opened his eyes, finding and staring into Adam’s eyes, sureness and discipline steadying him.

Adam lifted his Ax.  “Care to go again?” he asked.

Rocky smirked.  “You’re on.  He-ya!” he leapt forward, spinning in the air and cut at Adam’s right side.  Using both hands, Adam parried the light blow with his Ax.  “Nice,” he said.

“Heads up!” Rocky announced.  Rocky continued on the offense for a long time before Adam attacked.  Soon smiles spread across the faces.

 

* * *

 

 

High above the earth, Jason nodded at Rocky.  “Well done, Rocky,” he muttered.  “Scorpina,” he called out.

 

* * *

 

 

Adam bunted the slash to his left upper arm.  “Come on; that was an easy one!” he mock jeered at Rocky.

Smirking, Rocky prepped to stab toward Adam’s right lower calf.

Materializing beside him, a fused putty tapped him on the shoulder.  Instantly seeing it out of the corner of his eye, Rocky pivoted around and stabbed at the putty.  Dodging the blade, the putty shoved Rocky into the ground.  Recovering, Rocky rolled across the ground and sprung to his feet, instantly kicking back another putty near him.  Several wobbled and warbled around them.

However, Adam leapt into the air, assaulting the putty with a tornado kick combo.  “Guys, we have company.”

“Found them!” Kimberly hollered, fending off two putties of her own.

“No offense, Sean,” Adam hollered across the field, “but I think practice is over.”

“Agreed,” Sean responded.  “Ninja Ranger Power NOW!”

Knowing what Sean was calling forth before he had finished his first syllable, they automatically tapped into the familiar power within them, cemented in memory.  Instantly all of the rangers morphed into their Ninjetti costumes in mid fight.

“Just when things were going well,” Rocky grumbled, blocking an incoming hook punch to his left cheek and then slamming the pummel of his sword down on the Putty’s temple, knocking it to the ground.  Apparently putties still could be knocked unconscious.  As expected, three others closed in, blocking his front. 

Flipping through the air, Adam landed on Rocky’s left.  “Busy?” he asked.

“Heck yeah,” Rocky said, a smile kindling his face.

They jumped into the air, spun toward each other and slammed their heels into the outside putties’ heads.  Both crashed into their teammate and all fell to the ground.

“Now I am,” Adam remarked. 

Rocky scoffed with amusement.  “Come on then.”

Weapons in hand, they joined the fray.  Rocky attacked in defense; never in anger whilst always staying within a yard of Adam.  He needed Adam today; just as he had needed him when he awoke from his night terror—if not more.

“Red Ranger!” snarled a female voice.

Rocky spun his neck around.  There was Scorpina, sword drawn and aimed at him.  He pivoted around.  “Hi,” he chided at her.

“Leave us!” Scorpina ordered the surrounding hopping putties with a sweeping gesture of his sword hand.  “Keep the others away.”

Glancing around him, Rocky saw the putties obey.  Adam and the others could handle themselves.  He peered at her, sizing up her intent.  “Well, let’s have some fun shall we?” he remarked.  Grasping his chest emblem it transformed into his morpher.  “It’s morphin Time!  Ape Ninjetti Power!”  And he morphed.

Flashing a smirk that was soaked in contempt, Scorpina leapt into the air and fired a handful of fireballs at him.  Rocky batted most of them away while two exploded inches from his feet.  Keeping his cool and discipline, he followed Scorpina as she flipped over his head.  Pivoting around, he slashed at her side with his sword.  Falling to the ground, she rolled to her feet.  Rocky pursued her.  She lashed back with a round kick but Rocky slashed at her shin, spun around and slashed at her middle, throwing his strength into each strike.  Lunging toward her, he stabbed at her stopping an inch away from her neck; just a centimeter or so below her chin.  She had just lifted her right hip to get to her feet.

“Enough, Scorpina!” he demanded, authority and anger burning within him.  “What does Jason want with me?”

Without flinching, she glared back at him, the threat of revenge clear in her eyes.  “To kill you, you dumb human!”

“Careful, Scorpina,” Rocky warned, his temper and outrage growing.  Still, he harnessed himself.  “That’s not true and you know it.”

Scorpina tilted her face a centimeter up to him, contempt seeping from a smirk.  “Cleaver, Ranger.  Cleaver.  Maybe you’re worthy after all.”

Rocky tightened his jaw.  “For what?” he demanded.

“Wait and see, Rocky,” she added, vanishing in a flame.

At the same time, the Putties vanished also—leaving the rangers alone.  And for a moment, Rocky was alone.  Alone with the same questions he had been battling all day.

“Rocky, you okay?” Adam asked as he jogged up beside him.

Rocky thought for a moment and tranquility sprang from within him.  He grasped it, letting it possess him.  Breathing in, he demorphed.  Exhaling he smiled at Adam.  “Yeah, I am.  I have something to tell you.”

Reaching out, Adam rested his hand on his lover’s shoulder, forming a physical bridge of trust.  “Tell me.”

When Rocky was done the others eyed him with worry and compassion.  While many of them offered words of compassion and fellowship, Sean remained pensive, surveying Rocky.

“What are you thinking, Sean?” Billy asked.

Sean took in a breath.  “There is a strong possibility that Jason created that night terror,” he answered.

“What?  Now he’s a sorcerer?!” Zack cried aloud.

“Many beings throughout creation use magic for this.  However I suspect telepathy.  His discipline is growing.”

“Is that supposed to make us feel better?” Kimberly asked, realizing that this meant their danger had increased with this news.

Sean looked at her, shaking his head.  “No,” he said softly.  “I am simply impressed.”  Kimberly cocked her head in wonderment.  “Until we know more, we should not act.  Return to your lives.  I’ll let you know if I discover anything more.”

Assent flowed through them—even Rocky.

Readying to teleport, they—

“Guys wait,” Richie said.

They stopped, turning around.  “What’s up?” Kimberly asked.

“It’s Trini,” he confessed, taking a few moments.  “She won’t move from my living room window.  She hardly eats.  I’m…I’m worried about her.”

Kimberly approached him.  “She’s grieving right now.  You just need to be there for her.”

Richie sighed, meek frustration stirring within him.

“We’re a team, Richie,” Kimberly enforced, pulling strength from her love.  “You have us.”

Richie forced a smile.  “Thanks.”


	5. Propositions

Welcoming the night—particularly his bed—Rocky flopped onto it.  His belly filled with Adam’s cooking, he sank onto his pillow, relishing in its smooth white cotton texture as it swelled around the side of his head.  Hours later, the strain of Sean’s training weighed on his bones even more but it was nothing in contrast to the lightness he felt in his heart.  By divulging his secret to his friends he had released a large amount of stress.  He had no doubt that he would sleep well tonight… and possibly feel better in the morning.

Adam slid in beside him, sweeping a hand over Rocky’s bare back.  He kissed Rocky’s neck.  Rocky smiled, his eyes already closed.

“I’m proud of you,” Adam whispered.

“Thank you,” Rocky moaned, ecstasy springing through him.

“You’re welcome,” Adam smirked.  “You did well today.”

“You didn’t do too bad yourself.”

Inching closer, Adam pressed his bare chest into Rocky’s back, wrapping his arms around Rocky’s torso.  Their legs coiled together.  Rocky reached for one and held in close to his chest, relishing in the joy swimming in his blood now.  It had been too long since they had held one another in happiness—or at least it seemed so.  For now he embraced the present.  “Who’s going to hold you?” he remarked, returning to his famous child-like humor.

“You are, stupid.”

Rocky chuckled.

Smirking again, Adam kissed Rocky again, tracing his neck with his lips.

Pleasure swam into Rocky’s head, his face folding open into a grin.  “Well, in that case…” He twisted around and kissed Adam on the lips, wrapping his hand around the back of Adam’s head.

Adam kissed back with his lips, his tongue, and then his soul.  With his hands, he guided Rocky onto his back and rolled on top of him.  Supporting with his arms, Adam gazed into Rocky’s face, tracing it with his eyes.  The very sight lightened his head with happiness near to bliss.

Rocky gazed into his lover, bliss possessing him.  They had suffered enough from remorse, confusion, and doubt.  It was time to remember how to love.

Adam bent down, kissing Rocky again.

 

* * *

 

 

On the other side of Angel Grove, Richie lied awake and still in his bed, his mind as alert as if he lied in a coffin.  All he thought of was Trini.  He felt her spirit—even though she was on the other side of the house—as if he was touching her skin with his hands.

Richie had wanted to stay up with her again but he could not bring himself to after what he had said.  Although his body ached, Richie’s mind raced onward without stopping soon.

Yes.  He wanted her but she had been unclear of what she wanted.  He felt hesitation within her, holding her back.  He turned once again toward the cracked open door.  _Does she really want to be alone?_ he asked himself.

The silence reinforced his answer.  However, he also knew that now was not the time to press his companionship onto her.  For all he knew it would push her away further.  She had already been betrayed by her husband.  He could only imagine what she would do if a close friend betrayed or hurt her.

No.  He would not think of that.  As an empath, Trini would sense his doubt and worry.  Right now, she needed his strength; not his insecurities.  Pressing his lips together, be beat his head against the pillow—frustration at his helplessness all the while pounded in his mind and heart, building through the passing moments.  Still he was there for her and that counted.  _Does she know that?_ he wondered, _after what I told her?_   It was said that time healed all wounds.  _Maybe time would be merciful?_ he hoped.  _Perhaps gracious?_

Unfortunately neither praying nor hoping helped.  He turned over.  Pressing his eyes shut, he pulled his emotional barriers around his heart once more, praying for stillness.  Unfortunately, his heartbreak smashed thru his will with revived strength.  He pushed against it again, trying to meditate—reciting a mantra—like he had years before.  _I need to be strong for her.  This is the path she chose.  I must respect that._   There was no one else she trusted now except him.  Otherwise she would not have come to him.  That was plain.  With her in the pain she was in, who was he to add to her sorrow.  What right had he to declare he loved her?  None!  Still, the absence of her touch trailed up his limbs into his chest, beckoning sorrow. 

He had gotten used to this but had never accepted it.  The first four years had been hard—grueling—but Richie had survived thru them by always looking for the better things in life whenever he felt down.  Yet even with this perspective there had been days he had merely existed.

And yet now with Trini being so near and removed from him clawed at his heart.  His lungs sucked in more air.  He tried to calm himself by lying flat on his back, extending all his limbs downward, pushing his shoulders away from his neck.  It did not help.  Tears grew underneath his eyelids, finally leaking down his cheekbones onto the pillow.  Richie grinded his lips together, snorts grunting through his nose.  He would not submit.  She did not need to endure this.  He was stronger than this.

And then the truth hit him, shattering his habitual thinking.  While he had had a choice all these years to stay away from her or approach her, Trini had not.  Jason’s true rape had not been earlier in the week but all the years she had been his slave and denied her full liberty.

Richie opened his eyes.  Sobs scratched his throat, shaking his clenched jaw.  He could not fight anymore as his heart sank in grief, pity, compassion, and remorse.  Richie opened his mouth, coughing out the wail he had shoved down repeatedly for a decade.  His face crumpled and he sobbed, ashamed that he could not hold his reserve for her.  Instead he grieved for her—for the life she had never lived and for a life they had never shared.

 

* * *

 

 

Time trailed on through the night.  Dawn tickled Rocky’s eyelids. 

Adam and he lay nestled in each other’s arms.  Although the world would be invaded sometime in the future, for this eternity they lay in security—in sanctuary—unhindered by the what-ifs of the future—at least not consciously.  At peace, and undeterred, Rocky relaxed further.

He stood before Zordon once more in the old Command Center, alongside Aisha and Adam.  Tommy, Zack, Kimberly, Billy, Trini, and Jason stood behind them with Alpha 5 in the circle of control consoles.  “Therefore we ask that you take a solemn vow:  Never to release the secret identities of the Power Rangers,” requested Zordon.

“We’ll take that vow,” said Adam, flashing a smile.

“Count on it,” agreed Aishia.

“And _never_ betray you,” finished Rocky.

 _Really?_ whispered Jason’s voice.

Startled—almost jumping out of his skin—Rocky whirled around, his eyes popping.  Aisha and Adam, along with everything around and below him, evaporated into a dusty mist leaving behind only a dense black void.

“Wha—?” Rocky gasped.

Before him, a column of bonfire flared into existence, solidifying into Jason, swathed in his black cloak.  His head bent to what used to be the floor, sparse yet pungent flames crackled about his skin and clothes.  Jason lifted his eyes, pinning his pupils onto Rocky’s.

Rocky gaped, flooded with amazement.  For moments he dared not move, struck with shock.  Finally he took a step toward Jason and then another.  “You!” he said, though he knew not why he said it.  Aggression and confusion rumbled within him.

Jason nodded as flames washed about him, incinerating his body into wisps of ash.

Torn between yelling and gasping, Rocky bolted upright, sweat dripping down his face.  Clutching his heart, he patted it several times.  Relief washed over him as he felt skin overlapping his muscles and ribs.  Seizing handfuls of breaths at a time, he darted his head around, taking in reality: he was alive and safe.  Sighing he cradled his face in his hands.

A second later as his happiness ebbed, the silence alerted him to Adam’s verbal absence.  Rocky glanced to his left, hoping to see Adam awake also.  Wrapped in the cocoon of slumber, Adam breathed through his nose, his body limp.

“Wha—” Questions raced through Rocky faster than he could say them.  “Why?”

“That’d be important, wouldn’t it?” asked an open throated voice.

Rocky spun around, facing the intruder before the sentence was finished.  Squatt stood in front of the footboard of the bed.  Anger and annoyance boiled within Rocky.  Straightening his back, he stared down Squatt.

“Shush!  Best not wake him,” Squatt said, holding up his hands.  He lightly chuckled.

“Get out!” Rocky ordered.

“Nope.  I have a message for you from Jason.”

Rocky narrowed his eyes and eyebrows at the intruder.  “If he has a message than he can deliver it himself.”

“Sorry.  Doesn’t work that way.  He wants to meet.”  Rocky glanced at Adam.  “No, not with him, you dummy!”

Rocky snapped his head back at Squatt, his face unchanged.  “Watch it, Squatt!”  A vein twitched in his forearm.

“Keep your shirt on—or… you know!” Squatt stammered, noticing that Rocky was naked.

Rocky bit back his impatience, remembering Zordon’s second rule for being a power ranger:  Never escalate a battle unless forced to.  “Where?” he asked, his mouth a slit.

“Just remember your dreams,” Squatt answered.  “Bye!”  He vanished in a bluish white whirlwind.

Rocky relaxed his composure but did not lie down, his heart still hammering.  He glanced over at Adam.  His lover was still asleep.  Worry crept into Rocky.  Although Adam was a heaver sleeper than Rocky, Rocky doubted Adam was in a natural sleep.  After all, Rocky must have been flailing like the previous night—or had he?  Perhaps Adam was under a spell.  That would explain a lot.

Rocky shook these ideas away from his head.  Whatever the cause, paranoia would not give him clarity—only insanity and more stress.  He had just had one of the best nights of his life with Adam.  He was not about to throw that away.

Still, confusion and shock buzzed like hornets within him.  _This weekend keeps getting worse,_ he grumbled from within, rubbing his face.

Scorpina’s latest words splashed about in his mind:  _“Maybe you’re worthy after all.”_

 _Worthy of what?_ he wondered.

He rolled back onto his pillow, looking toward the ceiling without seeing it.  If Sean was right, then Jason was invading his dreams.  Rocky shivered at the thought.  Turning his head he gazed into Adam’s sleeping face.  Rocky smiled, transfixed by the serenity he saw in his lover’s face.  Still, a part of Rocky wanted to wake Adam up.  Interpreting dreams was more of Adam’s specialty, not Rocky’s.  He was on his own for this one.

But wait!  He had the others:  his friends.  He would not allow himself to succumb to such perspectives.

Still he needed to know what Jason wanted out of him.  Unlike Zedd and Rita, Jason was never direct.  “Like a force of nature,” he murmured.

Suddenly realizing he spoke aloud and curious if Adam woke up because of it, he snapped his head back toward Adam.  No change.  “At least you’re sleeping now,” Rocky grumbled, turning back toward the ceiling.  Grunting he hit his pillow with the back of his head.  “What am I going to do!?”

Rocky glanced at the window, admiring the pale glow of the first dawn light creeping into the room from behind the shades.  He looked again at the ceiling.

Jason had tried to abduct Trini the moment he had released her mind.  After raping her that night, he had sent Goldar and Scorpina to abduct her the following morning.  Epiphany exploded within his brain.

 _How could I have been so stupid?_ he exclaimed.

Jason was not after Rocky.  He was after Trini!  He had always been.  Even when Zack was going through his rite of passage, Jason had targeted the others so that he could get to Trini without interference.  It had almost cost them Billy but when Richie had joined them, their team was reinforced; and Sean’s powers had returned to full strength once Zack had passed his rite.

Excitement coursed through his veins, energizing Rocky.  Rash impulses sprouted within him.  Then reason and logic took over.  Even if Rocky was correct, there was still the matter of his night terrors.  Disappointment washed over him, silencing his excitement.  _How can I know for sure what he’s after?  Does my sub-crystal matter?  It’s still inside me.  Just dormant._

Logic dictated to Rocky that Jason wanted him.  Squatt’s request confirmed that.  If it was a ruse, then Rocky would have to anticipate that possibility.  Too much was still unknown.  However, that was the future—always a mystery.

Rocky sighed again.  He was going in circles.

Talking with the others would only delay the outcome.  In his heart he knew what he needed to do.  What he should have done yesterday.  He looked again at Adam, his face sagging.  “I’m sorry,” he whispered.  Adam did not stir.

Rocky was not surprised.  Although he would have been glad to have Adam help him with this, he knew that Adam would keep sleeping.  He hoped Adam would wake up eventually.  Sliding out of the bed, Rocky got up, threw on a black tank top, a pair of underwear, and exercise pants.  Grabbing his morpher from under his pillow he ran his fingers across it, gazing at it.    _Jason had one of these,_ he thought.  Looking up, he rose and tucked his morpher into the small of his back.  With a goodbye glance at Adam he left.

Focusing on his intent, Rocky shut the door behind him.  Stopping in the kitchen he grabbed a red delicious apple and nervously munched on it.  He knew he needed more to eat than that but chewing occupied his mind.  Finally when he bit into the core, he paused, gazed at it, and then tossed it into the garbage.

He glanced at the clock.  It read 6:49am.  Sean had wanted to meet all of the rangers at 10:00 this morning to share information with them.  Rocky knew now he would not be there.

His mind less foggy, he shut his eyes, seeking calm through meditation.  Ever since Kimberly had demonstrated how to conjure energy shields, he had been wondering if he had any powers also.  While he doubted that he was a telepath like Sean and Jason, he had felt that there was something within him itching to come out.  It dawned on him that this had fueled his inadequacy for many years—especially when Jason had returned to the Power Ranger team as Trey’s replacement.

Rocky paused and ruminated.  He had been confident most of his life:  before, during, and after the time he had spent as a power ranger.  Even though Tommy was the leader of the Power Rangers when Rocky had succeeded Jason, Rocky had been faced with difficult situations just the same.  One such circumstance was when his teacher had been transformed into the monster, Marvo the Meanie.  Rocky had had to work with Alpha, and prove to himself how much he knew about chemistry in order to change the rest of the rangers to normal from test tubes filled with liquids.  That experience proved to Rocky that there was more to him inside.  Throughout his life, Rocky had passed through triumphs and disappointments, all of which yielded some wisdom he could apply elsewhere in his life.   Rocky did not need any more training for the next step.  He just needed confidence.

Cracking open a couple of eggs, and cooking them on a skillet, he finally realized what Jason wanted.  It had never changed.  That was why it had not made sense for him to come after Rocky; even though he had feared it.  Adrenaline flared through his cells, surging him with energy.

Snatching a piece of paper and a pen, he scribbled a note for Adam.  Too much time had already been wasted.  Adam would just have to catch up if he could.  Plus, if Rocky was right, Adam would need his rest for what was to come.

Finishing his note, Rocky stepped back, looking toward the sky.  “God help me if I’m wrong,” he said, turning up the heat on his scrambled egg.  Glancing at the calendar, his face fell.  Although Zack’s theory of Jason attacking now because of a falling economy held merit, Rocky knew now exactly why Jason had chosen this time to reveal himself.  The date proved it.  He began forming a plan.

Scooping up his eggs onto a plate, he poured himself some juice.  All the while he tried to calm his nerves.  His will was not enough.  After chugging his drink, he shut his eyes and recalled Angel Grove Falls.  One afternoon in weeks past, he and Adam sat on the borders, meditating until they could not hear the water streaming around them.  With a those memories, courage and peace flowed through Rocky once more.  He opened his eyes and took in a slow deep breath; then he inhaled his eggs.

Using his will, he morphed into the Red Ranger and teleported away.

Materializing several miles away in one of the mountain ranges, he concentrated once more on the man that had caused so much pain and his decision.  He sighed, knowing he could still back out of this.  Refusing to yield to fear, he summoned his courage again.

“Jason… I’m ready!”


	6. At the Point of No Return

Trini stood in Richie’s kitchen, staring westward out the half window into his slopped backyard, a mug of steaming green tea in her hand.  Tired of inactivity—and also a bit thirsty—she had brewed it.  Richie was still in his room, either awake or asleep.  She did not care either way.  Taking a sip, she watched the pale light brighten the darkened sky; she ignored her burnt tongue.  Soon the sun would rise behind her.

Dread pierced through her depression, wafting over her inch by inch.  She knew she could not stop this day from coming.  No one could.  Regardless, had she the strength and ability Trini would have halted the earth’s rotation so that the sun would not rise.  She would even stop time if possible.  Unfortunately, she was no goddess.  She wasn’t even a Ninjetti anymore.  Richie was.  And he simply was not ready.

In the silence she felt Jason materialize behind her, saw the reflection of his teleporting flames bounce from the counters, walls, and cupboards, and window before her.  Without moving, she sensed his hands reaching for her shoulders.  Panic writhed underneath her core but she let him touch her.  His hands caressed her skin as they had long ago on their honeymoon, back when they were in love.

“What have you decided?” he whispered.

“I haven’t,” she whispered, steadying her voice.  “I want nothing to do with you.”

“And yet somehow I’m here like before.”

“Leave me alone.”

“You’re time’s running out,” Jason reminded her.  His honor demanded that he wait only until sunset today for her decision.  “Or should I refresh your memory further.”

“I remember you murdering Aisha six years ago today,” Trini said, fighting back the impulse to gag or to wrench away from him, “just to prove you would kill me if I said no.”

“Correct,” he said. 

“I chose neither.”

Hearing him draw in a breath to speak again, she closed her eyes, praying for patience.  He paused.  She sensed his happiness spike for a second.  Foreign dread dripped within her bosom.  Alarm.

“Looks like you have some more time to yourself,” he relayed to her, smirking.

“What do you mean?” she asked, failing to steady her voice.

He dipped his nose over the base of her neck, drawing in her smell. 

_I’m disgusting!_ she wailed, almost fainting.

Lifting his right hand, he rested it upon her shoulder, pressing ever so slightly into her shoulder blade.  Stepping closer, he wrapped his left hand around her belly, and caressed her side.  He pressed his muscular sculpture against the putty of her body.  Once more, he was her shield.  Horror bleached through her skin, blotching each of her innards.  Regardless, she leaned into his touch.   _How could you ever be disgusting?_ he asked, having heard her wail.

With her mind and body she felt him vanish as his body curled into evaporating flames.  As he left, whiffs of his malevolent spirit wafted against her skin like cool breezes.  Trying not to shiver she steadied her feet.  She still sensed his love mixed with his cruelty—his evil.  Dim though it was and overshadowed by his malice, his love for her was there.  Even when he had raped her, she had sensed it but had not noticed it because of her horror.  A part of him had longed to embrace her lovingly.  But he had ravaged her that night rapaciously.  And then, lacking in remorse, he had tried to capture her without any explanation.

Bewilderment fell upon Trini.  Caving in her chest, she whimpered—almost fully crying.  She was still on Earth—separated from him and safe for the moment.  He had spared her despite his pledge.  _Why?_ she wondered.  Today was so important for Jason:  the anniversary of when he had blocked her memory six years ago.   _Why would he leave except… oh, God!_

Panic crawling up her body, Trini whirled around.  “Jason, don’t do this,” she pleaded in prayer.  As soon as she uttered the words she knew they were useless.  In that realization, terror overcame her.  She tightened her face, tossed her head side to side, and clawed her fingers through her hair trying to think of some way she could stop what was occurring.  _Who’s the other?_ she whispered, pulling out strands of hair.  Nothing came to her.  She did not know.

“Richie!” she finally shrieked at the top of her lungs, jogging out of the room.

 

* * *

 

 

Across Angel Grove, Adam stretched his limbs, his mind rising from sleep.  Eyes still shut, be slowly drew in air through his nose.  The ecstasy and bliss of the previous night’s sex still inflated his being.  Exhaling, he opened his eyes to look at whichever part of Rocky was facing him—he did not care.  Just to be near—to be intimate with his lover in a time of fear and dread was a blessing.  And last night had been wonderful.

But he only saw Rocky’s pillow.  Adam’s ecstasy plummeted into his belly, crushed by reality.  Anxiety replaced it, vibrating up his spine.  Lifting his head, he looked around.  He was alone in the bedroom.  “Rocky?” he called out.  There was no answer.  “What?” he murmured.

Rising from the bed, grabbing some clothes, and dressing, he walked into the hallway.  Registering the absence of the shower running Adam headed straight for the kitchen.  In the back of his mind, he knew that Rocky was not in the house or anywhere near it.  “Where are you?” Adam wondered, his anxiety growing.

Scanning the kitchen, his eyes finally fell upon Rocky’s note.  Picking it up, his eyes blurred across the lettering.

_If you read this, thank God!  I couldn’t wake you earlier so I left without you.  I know what Jason wants with Trini so I’m going to stop him.  The others will just get in our way.  Protect her life, Adam.  Nothing else matters._

_–Rocky_

Adam slapped his hand down on the counter, releasing the note.  _Rocky, you fool!_ he cursed, instantly tapping Rocky’s button on his communicator.  Hearing only silence, be smiled briefly, glad that at least Rocky took his with him. 

“What are you up to?” he asked.  His heart raced again.

 

* * *

 

 

Miles from Adam, Rocky stood morphed at the base of the sandy, treeless mountain from his nightmare, waiting.  The mountain had no name according to the state but he recognized that he was near the indigenous Indian Reservation.  Maybe Tommy’s brother was there.  Rocky did not know.  He turned his gaze from the reservation’s direction.  Seeing David was only a distraction.

Holding his helmet at his hip, he embraced the breeze blowing through his hair, holding onto the last few seconds of freedom and life.  Squinting, he looked at the vista around him, taking it all in.  The next time he beheld it he would be changed regardless of what occurred today.  Embracing these facts, he ignored the anxiety stirring within him along with his beeping communicator.

He smiled.  _Either Adam’s awake, or Jason’s attacking someplace else.  I’ll wait._

Less than ten seconds later, Jason materialized six yards ahead of him.  Dressed in his leather garb, he surveyed Rocky.

Fear shivered up Rocky’s legs but he reminded himself he was a martial artist.  Faint attraction weakened his legs.  Drawing himself to his full height, Rocky steeled his gaze into Jason’s eyes, ignoring his emotions.

“Morning,” Jason greeted.

“You’ve been testing me all along, haven’t you?” Rocky began.  “Since Thursday.”

“Not just you.”

“I want to know why,” Rocky demanded.  “You could have killed all of us easily.  Especially when you noticed Sean was weak.”

“How’s that important?” Jason asked, tilting his head as if bored with the affair.

Rocky drew in a breath, relaxing his torso.  Jason was testing him.  Calmly Rocky answered, “You want someone to rule with you.”

Jason’s mouth spread horizontally in pride.  _Finally!_ he silently cheered, hiding his joy. 

“Any of us would do,” Rocky added.

“Tommy’s a bit… antagonistic for that role,” Jason added, playing it comically.

“So I got picked.  Hmm.  I’m not sure how to take that.” Rocky added sarcastically, even though he had just spoken the truth.

“Consider it your time to shine; to gain honor.”

“There is no honor in what you do.”

“Yes, there is,” Jason responded, hardening his voice.

“You serve Evil, Jason!”  Rocky spat, funneling his anger to strengthen his legs.  _Anger without focus is useless in battle,_ he recited.

_Wise words,_ Jason commented.

Rocky blinked but held his eye contact.  “How in Zordon’s name is this honorable?  What you’ve done is treasonous and cruel!”

“You’ve never been evil,” Jason added, now glaring at Rocky.  “Only hateful.”

Uneasiness rocked back and forth within Rocky.  Shortly after the rangers had met and reinitialized their powers with Ninjor, Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa had used the Hate Master monster to turn Tommy, Adam, Kimberly, Billy, and Rocky against each other.  Aisha had been able to fight off the spell leaving her to fight alone.  Despite their acrimony towards each other and their strike against Zordon, they had still remained a group—unfortunately a group quickly heading toward an outright civil war.  Tommy and Adam had literally changed into _gis_ within hours after being infected to fight over leadership of the Power Rangers.  Surprisingly enough the fact that they were fighting for the team was a reflection of their deep rooted team spirit and friendship underneath Hate Master’s spell.

“I don’t need power,” Rocky stated, squeezing his morpher as indication.  “I have that… and confidence.”

“I’m not talking about power,” Jason explained.

Rocky blatantly scoffed, his diaphragm bouncing with chuckles at the hypocrisy and ridiculousness of Jason’s last statement.  His humor and skepticism eased the tension in his cheeks.  As the Monarch of Evil, Jason was one of the strongest and most resourceful people in the universe.  He was practically a god!  _How is Jason not tempting me with power?  That would be absurd if true!_

Rocky calmly stepped forward.  “I may still act like a child from time to time, Jason,” Rocky replied, his humor and skepticism easing the tension under his eyes, “but know that I’m not one anymore!” he finished, his eyes blazing with dignity while his soul burned with goodness.

Jason neither flinched nor gaped.  Instead he brought his hands together just below his navel, intersecting his fingers.  He hardened his glare at Rocky.  The comedic air present mere seconds ago vanished from his face and posture.  His glare was not of murder or hate.

_But of what?_ Rocky questioned, alertness springing within him.  He shrank under Jason’s glare.  This was such an uncharacteristic form for Jason—the Jason he remembered—that he questioned his fear.  He stepped back, digging into the sandy rock with his feet for stability, willing courage back into him.  _Is he going to rape me?_ he wondered.  Panic began trembling within him.

Jason continued glaring—piercing through Rocky’s exterior though no flesh was harmed.

Panic quaked within Rocky.  Shivers and goose bumps bounced up his legs into his hips.   _Is he reading my mind?_   _What is he doing?_   In the silence, he waited while fearing the inevitable spell to be place on him.   _Is this what Tommy went through?_ he wondered, thinking of the many times Tommy had been turned evil.

Finally Jason stepped forward, authority radiating from him.  “Who are you to think that you can rule beside me?” he demanded.

Terror stabbed freely through Rocky.  Gapping, he pushed his stare back into Jason’s eyes, refusing to yield to his trembling knees.  _I can handle this,_ he chanted, thinking that Jason was testing him.  _I can handle it.  He won’t have Trini!_

Jason neared.

Just then, Rocky’s mind swam with bewilderment.  _What’s going on?_   He took off his right glove.  His hand was pale—not yet white but gray nonetheless.

Stopping his advance within an inch of Rocky’s nose, Jason glared into Rocky’s eyes.

Though Rocky’s fledgling panic begged him to flee—and he knew it was right—he couldn’t.  His energy was leaving him.

Suddenly a wave of force shoved down onto Rocky’s shoulders, pressing him into the ground.  Grunting, Rocky straightened his back and pushed up from his quads and calves.  The waves continued.  Rocky groaned, trying to call out.  After a mighty shove, Rocky crumbled to his knees.  He peered up.

Jason towered over him, devoid of passion or joy.


	7. A Great Evil

Rita stood powerfully and erect in the center of Zedd’s balcony.  Raising her staff as the glow of distant lightning flashed upon her, she chanted in a strange language—forgotten by all on earth—at the main conduit of her powers.  Mounted directly before her on the railing was a black, abstractedly coiled altar, holding a pristine white human skull.  Winging it was a line of several tall lit crimson candles spread atop the railing.  Two candelabras, holding three lit, crimson candles each, stood at forty-five degree angles in front of the altar.

Taking another deep breath, she gathered her magical energy, depths which she had not used since summoning Lokar (a powerful spirit of Evil) from the moon years ago during her solo campaign to conquer Earth.  The spells she had invoked then could have ended her life if done incorrectly.  Despite the danger, she had succeeded with a tremendous effort.

Later that same year, Rita had moved her palace to downtown Angel Grove to increase her power by ten.  While there, she had summoned Lokar a second time with greater ease.

Now, with the spell she and Zedd would be casting within minutes, she wished they had moved the castle.  Unfortunately none of them could risk moving the castle to Earth now.  Since Zedd had altered it when he had supplanted here after a year of failing, she wasn’t sure if her powers would increase as much as before.  Still, every bit of aid would be helpful.  Even though Lord Zedd was far more powerful than Rita, he could not cast this spell solely.  He had his own duties to perform in the ceremony just as one of Rita’s was to channel the flows of energy.  Regardless of the teamwork, if they failed the spell would claim her life and possibly Lord Zedd’s.

Jason had given them this task.  Refusal had not been encouraged.

Standing in front of his throne, Lord Zedd nodded in deep meditation, psychically hunting through the morphing grid for their target—the one person in the universe that had proven to be Rita and Zedd’s greatest champion and their greatest bane.  “White Ranger,” he beckoned.  Finding him, Lord Zedd fired his supervision at the earth.  Tommy slept soundly in his bed.  Abating his espionage, Lord Zedd wrapped his thought around the Tommy’s mind.  White energy slithered down the tubes of his left arm into his staff.  A spout of lightning traveled up his staff, coiling in the center of the _Z_ insignia on top before spraying into the air like water spewing from a miniature fountain.  “Come forth, and do our bidding.”

Days after the Green Ranger’s powers had been decimated Zordon had used the Light of Goodness to create the original White Ranger.  By using this benevolently pure source these powers could never be taken away by the forces of Evil.  Now because those powers those powers were a part of Tommy (thanks to Sean), it was impossible for Tommy to be placed under a spell.  Tommy had even fought against Jason’s control on Thursday.

Nevertheless, Lord Zedd could nullify Tommy’s ability to teleport away and prevent inbound teleportation—both considerably difficult tasks since all of the Rangers were Ninjetti.

Unfortunately, that strength was the Ninjetti’s weakness.  Jason knew this thoroughly.

“Begin, Rita,” Zedd instructed.

“ _Ooooooo, zen-lu shorli shada!_ ” Rita chanted, flicking her free hand at the skull.  Miniscule red lighting jumped from her hand onto the skull, crisscrossing over it for several seconds before sinking into it.  Its eyes flashed ruby twice.  “ _Yooo, jhabsha shabo!  Oooom jhednaaa zeeeeez baaaaaaaaaz shala!_   You are mine once more!” she cried, raising her staff.  Several blue lightning bolts struck the jewel within her staff and then the skull.  Minor discharges struck the balcony, surrounding her with a brilliant shower of sparks.

 

* * *

 

 

Unaware of Rita and Zedd’s doings as he slumbered, a blanket of neon multicolored lights fell upon Tommy, completely enveloping him.  Suddenly, a strobe of brilliant white light swirled and revolved from Tommy’s core.  Piercing the Rita and Zedd’s energy, it brushed the spell from him.  Tommy jerked awake.  Drops of sweat immediately broke through his brow.  “What was that?” he gasped.

 

* * *

 

 

Ignoring the impulse to grit her teeth, Rita waved her staff and empty hand in an arc before her and then shot a ruby colored stream into it.  “Former Green Ranger, remember your weakness then!” she yelled.  The skull’s eyes continued flashing.

Behind her, Zedd fired two lightning bursts from his staff at the skull.  “Submit!” he commanded.

 

* * *

 

 

Back on Earth, Tommy grabbed his head, breathing through the sudden lightheadedness.  Worry and surprise wiggled within his spine.  Suddenly white and ruby red lightning crisscrossed around his cranium.  Seized with agony, he crouched over grasping his forehead as if struck by a migraine.

_“By the Power of Evil, submit!”_ Rita and Zedd chorused within his head.  Midnight blue cumulonimbus clouds gathered around Tommy’s house, blocking out the sun and crackling with bright cerulean lightning.  _“You are ours!”_

“No!” Tommy retorted.  “I won’t let you!”  But he felt his will slipping away.  His light had vanished and he did not know how to summon it.  Squeezing his eyes shut he dragged back his will and pushed back the possessing force.  Reignited, his inner light amplified.  Still, Lord Zedd and Rita pressed their will.

“I’m the White Ranger now!  You can’t do this!” he added, wincing in pain.  _Zordon said this couldn’t happen again!_   “Help!” he grunted.

 

* * *

 

 

“He mustn’t reach help!” Rita screamed, fuelled with adrenaline and maintaining her focus.

“He won’t,” Zedd declared, gripping his staff with both hands.  Casting the head of his staff back, he flung it forward unleashing a surge of white lightning at Tommy’s house.

 

* * *

 

 

White discharges surged through Tommy’s communicator.  Wincing, he reached to tear it off his wrist but the lightning ripped it apart.

_“Tommy, no!”_ Zordon’s voice called from afar.  _“Fight them!”_

“I can’t!” Tommy groaned, falling to his side.  He gritted his teeth, shaking his head.  “Leave me alone!” he yelled, the white light blazing from within him once more as his desire grew, shoving back the neon energy.  But the neon energy hovered like a cloud beyond the light’s rays and the dark clouds outside continued crackling with volleys of lightning.

“I need my morpher!  Where is it?” Tommy winced, now writhing.  “Guys, where are you?” he pleaded.  Seeing his friends in his mind’s eye courage blazed within him once more, his light turned brilliant and dispelled the neon energy.  The dark clouds, however, remained above his house, crackling with miniscule lightning.

 

* * *

 

 

Back on the moon Rita cried out in pain as if stabbed in the face.  Swaying, she slammed the bottom of her staff down, leaning upon it for support.  Tears of blood fell down her cheeks as her will faltered.  Even summoning Lokar had not been this difficult.

“Rita!” Lord Zedd called.

She heard him but moaned, too tired to wail.  Their focus had to be unanimous but Rita’s strength was waning.  She was near her breaking point.  Still she had to press on.  Jason was counting on her.  They needed to do this.

She stretched forth her arms, raising them while gritting her teeth.  Mist rose from behind the altar.  “Forces of Evil, hear my plea!  Help us conquer this destined purity—Ahh!” she screamed, grasping her eyes.  Staggering backward the same pain stabbed at her again; she fell backward onto her backside, her staff limp in her hand.

“Rita!” Zedd called out, ounces of concern leaking through his voice but nevertheless overshadowed by his anger and anxiety for failure.

She did not respond—only whimpered as real tears mixed with the fresh and drying blood.

“Rita, get up.  Your spell is losing power.”  Charging up his staff, he swung it forth at the Skull, shooting it with white evil lightning.  “I need your energy to sustain it!” he called out.  “Get up!”

But she could not.  She was beaten.  Her energy was almost spent.  If she used anymore she would die.  She scolded herself through silent wails.  She had never felt pain like this before; and that last stunt could have ripped her life force from her body.  She was lucky.

“Rita, we cannot let Zordon defeat us from the grave!” Lord Zedd insisted.  Still psychically in tune with the Morphing Grid, he had heard Zordon’s voice.  He shook off the shivers from his spine, and concentrated his energies to sustain the ritual.

In Rita, Lord Zedd’s words triggered scathing hate and resentment for the late leader of Good.  But it was not enough to give her the strength to finish this spell.  She could not channel anymore external power.  Her magical link between her and the Skull began to ebb.

“I’ll die either way,” she mumbled, half caring.

“I refuse to die before we _succeed!_ ” Lord Zedd declared, still pouring power into the ritual.  “Ivan Ooze, Master Vile, and then King Mondo!  I refuse to depart this world until it is ours or cinders!  We’re too close now.  Damn it, Rita!  Get up and be a Queen of Evil!”

“I can’t give anymore!” she grumbled, which was true.  Fog obscured her brain.  All of her longed to pass out but she clutched to the edges of limbo, forestalling the inevitable death.

Neither of them could walk away from this.  Their life forces were tied to it.  Sustaining Rita’s life along with his while channeling the massive magical energies was taking its toll on Zedd.  Swaying he stepped out, catching himself on the bottom step of his dais.  Squeezing his staff, he pushed himself back to his full height. 

“Rita…!” he begged.  _This is too important,_ he thought, unable to communicate to her.

“There’s no more!” she wailed, falling onto the ground.

“Then you need more, my Queen!” Finster called out from the main hallway.  Squatt and Baboo huddled around him while Goldar and Scorpina stood nearby in awe of the ritual before them.  Out of fear and obedience they remained silent and did not enter.

“I can’t chann—”

And an idea flashed within Rita.  She paused in thought.  None of her previous strategies could see her through this.  In order to complete this ritual she would need courage—something that the forces of Evil had consistently underestimated and misunderstood because of naiveté and ignorance.  Jason had personally corrected this weakness of Evil by instructing Rita and Zedd and their minions about it.  Therefore cowardice was no longer an excuse to flee or halt under Jason’s reign.

Ignoring the blood congealing on her cheeks, she pushed herself to her feet.  Snarling away her annoyance, she channeled her hatred of Zordon into her magic.  A tremendous surge of energy grew within her but she knew she would not be able to sustain it for long.  Waiving her staff in a circle in front of her, she honed her focus.  Zordon and the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers had foiled hers and Lord Zedd’s plans too many times for her to count.  “Zordon _won’t_ win this time!” she spat.

Sinking back onto his throne, Lord Zedd smiled under his mask.  Though he usually detested her, brief admiration for her floated within him.  Instead of snuffing it out, he allowed the emotion.

Rita began to chant.  “ _Ooooooo, zen-lu shorli shadaaa!  Yooo, jhabshaa shabo!  Oooom jhednaaa zeeeeez baaaaaaaaaz shala!_ ”

Rita’s skull shot neon energy eyebeams into Rita’s staff at the same time Lord Zedd fed the staff with his lightning.

“White Ranger, be ours once more!” Zedd chimed in.

Filled with this enormous quantity of energy, Rita fired a burst of ruby lightning from her staff at Tommy whilst screaming, “COMPLY!!!!!”

Blue, white, red, neon, and black lightning fused together in the storm over Tommy’s house.  Phasing through his roof, the lightning knocked Tommy unconscious, snuffing his inner light out.  Sprawled across his bed he groaned no more.  Shallow breaths pumped in and out of his lungs.

 

* * *

 

 

In Kimberly’s guest bedroom, Sean awoke with a start, sensing the stench of malevolent magic at play within the morphing grid.  Immediately recognizing the sources of it, Sean automatically traced its target.  Realizing it was Tommy and that they were too late, he leapt from the bed and dashed through the open doorway, while pressing the general address button on his communicator.  In the back of his mind, he wondered why Haley had not alerted them of anything from Tommy’s Lab.

A shiver twitched at the base of his spine.  Rising above his anxiety and fear, he called out in a clear voice, “Kimberly, wake up!” sensing she was still groggy.


	8. The Sum of Choices and Fate

Seven colored streaks of energy shot into the sky from various points in Angel Grove, converging toward remote area near the outskirts of Reefside, California.  Coiling and swirling within its malice, rainless, menacing, and almost black cumulonimbus clouds spewed only blue and crimson lightning, slashing through the atmosphere around Tommy’s one story house.

The streaks dipped underneath the storm.  Less than a second later, crimson lightning, winged with blue, struck them.  Minuscule lightning raced along their now phasing, flailing bodies, they crashed into Tommy’s meadow-like front yard—barely missing the fence of pine trees.  Panic, pain, and shock crippled their minds, numbing their bodies. They glanced around.

Seconds dragged on and they still phased in and out like electrical phantoms.  Above them the lightning coiled and stabbed around them, as if daring them to rise.  No one moved.

Finally Sean tilted his semi-solid head, seeing but not registering what he saw above him.  Reality was a void for him.  His instinct crawling back, Sean psychokinetically reached out and pulled the Rangers’ extraneous energy out of them.  They fully materialized but none moved.  The energy hovered over them.

Conscious thought now returning, Sean called on his ranger powers through instinct, transforming the mass into a translucent dome of emerald energy.  The echo of the distant roar from the Dragonzord reverberated under the dome as it deflected several bolts before dissolving.

Weakened by the lightning he resolved not to form a shield again while unmorphed.  He lacked the strength to morph.

“Everyone… alright?” he called out roughly, his body now stinging as blood circulated freely through him.  Relief slowly took over as the lighting ignored them, but still struck the air several feet above them.  Sensing his friends were alive, Sean sighed.

Then all of a sudden throbbing pulsed through him.  Allowing the pain, he called out, “Rise above the pain, Rangers, or you’ll seize.”

Skeptically Zack and Kimberly grimaced indirectly.

“Do it,” Sean urged softly, anticipating their reactions amongst others.  Several of them were still in shock.

However, once rational thought returned to the others, they complied, soothing their suffering with discipline.  Sean stretched out with his mind and aura to the others, not to lessen their burden but to place a hand on their back.  It helped them.

Except for Trini.

Funneling the throbbing into anguish, she screamed, her voice answering the crackling and roaring lightning above her.  But she refused to sink below the pain.  Rising above her depression again, she did not challenge the Evil behind the storm.  Sympathy and compassion rattled the others as her scream grew into a shrieking bellow, expelling what tears could not.

Even Sean could not erase the events that had ravaged her.  Her screams shrank into whimpering wails, saturated by her bleeding soul as waves of mortification broke upon her, weakening her courage.  All the while she wondered how much more Jason would punish her for not being his Queen of Evil.

Less than ten seconds passed and the throbbing ceased.  Trini kept whimpering.

“Tommy!” Kimberly screamed over the dwindling thunder.  Rolling onto her belly, she dragged herself toward Tommy’s house.  Stray bolts struck within two yards her.  She winced.

“Kimberly, get your butt over here!” Zack yelled from behind.

“No!” Kimberly spat, trying again.  “Tommy, answer me!”

“We can’t reach him,” Sean reported.  “We can only wait.”

 _We can’t wait!_ she argued back, frustration burning within her core.

“None of us can stand yet,” Sean argued.

Ignoring Sean, Kimberly pulled herself across the grass with her forearms.

 

* * *

 

 

 _“Awaken, White Ranger,”_ Rita instructed into Tommy’s mind.

His eyelids flew open.  Tommy’s eyeballs flashed red and then his irises flashed emerald before returning to normal.

_“Now, come to us!”_

Transforming into a column of white energy, he through the ceiling, the roof and then the sky and into space.

 

* * *

 

 

Kimberly’s face widened and broke at the sight.  Remorse crushed all of them except Richie.  He was simply awed with surprise. 

“Where’s he going?” Kimberly whimpered, fueling her denial.  “Where is he going!?  Tommy!!”

“Kim, we don’t know,” Adam said, pushing to his knees.  Despite that spoken truth, everyone guessed the same thing:  Rita and Zedd’s palace.

“Why would they take him by force?” Trini asked, thinking of Jason.  “It doesn’t make sense.”

“What doesn’t?” Zack said.

“We must go to the Lair,” Sean said, crawling to his feet and trudging to the front door.  All the while he was aware he did not have a key to Tommy’s house.  The corners of his lips jumped up as he thought of the irony.

The others followed him.

 

* * *

 

 

Materializing before the foot of Zedd’s balcony within seconds, Tommy stood upright and still as a statue.  All personality was wiped from his face.

“Ah!” Rita hissed, catching her breath.  Though beyond exhausted glee bloomed within her.  “Lord Zedd, we did it!  We actually did it.  We enslaved the White Ranger!” she ended in a cackle even though her escalating joy threatened to overpower her fatigued body.

“Yes, we have,” Zedd hissed.  “It’s a shame we’re not allowed to destroy you now, _Tommy_.  You have Jason to thank for that.  But you don’t care about that, do you, Tommy?”

No thought entered Tommy’s mind.

Finster, Squatt, and Baboo, Goldar, and Scorpina gasped from just outside of the chamber in the main hallway.

Leaning upon his staff, Lord Zedd crossed behind Tommy.  “Who are your Masters?” he asked.

“You are,” Tommy answered in monotone.

Rita lowered her head, gathering her strength.

“Focus, Rita!” Zedd barked at her.

“I am!  Stop badgering me!”  Despite her snapping, she wondered how she was going to recover.  The day had only begun and there was no telling what else lay in store.  Still, she wanted to kill the Rangers and that desire plus her perseverance steadied her.  She would endure with courage for as long as she could.

 _So this is how those blasted teenagers beat us for all those years!_ she snarled.  Finally understanding, she broke into a smile.  _Well, sit tight, Power Rangers.  You’re gonna hate this!_

 

* * *

 

 

In Tommy’s Lab, Haley hissed with frustration and annoyance, glaring at the monitors before her.  “I’ve been here for over a day and just when I nod off all hell breaks loose,” she growled under her breath.  Her fingers flew across the keyboards, hammering out commands into the computer.  “I may be a genius but I’m still human.”  She forced her hunching shoulders down for the sixth time.

“We’ll find a way,” Billy said.  Sitting beside her, he analyzed the data they had from the internal sensors.  “Internal sensors are working though.”

Haley tapped the desk.  “Finally!  I’m getting something.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Pleasantries later, Billy.”

“Agreed.”

“Haley!” Sean called out from the Lab’s entrance.

“Finally!” Kimberly sighed.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Haley called out to them.  “That lightning was interfering with my systems.”

“Haley, what’s going on?” Zack asked.

“Where’s Rocky?” Adam half demanded.

“I don’t know.  I can’t localize Rocky’s ranger energy, and the satellites for some reason can’t _spot_ him!” she yelled through clenched teeth.  Taking a quick breath, she resumed.  “Billy, I highly suggest that we finish upgrading everything as close to immediately as possible.”

“Affirmative,” Billy answered.

“Billy, what happened to Tommy?  Where is he?” Kimberly asked.

Billy looked at her.  “Sorry, Kim.  There was a force field around his room.  I couldn’t penetrate it.”

“You’ve broken one before.”

“Not of this caliber.  The readouts our incredible.”

Haley gaped at her readings.  “That storm didn’t fry anything.  Sometime, I’d like to study the readings from it.”

“Black sorcery spawned it,” Sean explained.  “You’ll find it was beyond anything Rita and Lord Zedd have unleashed on Earth before.  Even the Morphing Grid was disrupted.”

“Disrupted?” Adam asked.  “Can we morph?”

“The morphing grid is healing itself, but a great evil has been done nonetheless,” Sean admitted, psychically probing the Grid.  “Our fears are confirmed.”

Richie looked around.  Solemn faces fell upon his friends.  No one spoke.  Kimberly shook her head.  “So instead of a manic Green Ranger we now have an evil White Ranger?” Richie guessed.

“That was supposed to be impossible as long as Tommy was the White Ranger,” Zack explained. 

“Huh?”

“Later, Richie.”

“I look forward to it,” Richie said.

“You might not,” Kimberly muttered.

Richie wondered why she said that.  Trini had not told him that Tommy had begun his career as Rita’s puppet.

Meanwhile Haley scowled into the monitor screen before her.

“Careful, Haley,” Billy said, leaning over her shoulder.  “You’re imputing the wrong information.”

“Damn,” she cursed, correcting the mistake.  “Sorry.”  _If I were a power ranger, I’d kick Jason’s ass right now!_   She flicked her gaze to the back of the room.

Trini stared at the floor.

“Staying silent isn’t going to help Tommy or Rocky,” Haley grunted to Trini, almost snarling.  “Why is Jason after Tommy?”

Trini glared into Haley’s head, outrage bellowing behind her lips.

All the while worry for Rocky echoed within their hearts.  Lifting his wrist, Adam tried contacting him again.

 

* * *

 

 

Rocky only knew cold as he cowered at Jason’s feet, surrounded by Jason’s evil.  Courageously he pushed against the weight crushing down on him.  In his agony, he did not register his communicator’s beeping.  Unable to maintain his stance, Rocky’s leaning leg collapsed.  Seizing a gulp of air, he tucked his chin, pressing his forehead into the ground in a grimacing kowtow.  _I’m more able than Trini to govern an empire,_ he chanted again.

“Answer my question,” Jason commanded.  “Now.  If you think sacrificing yourself will save Trini, you’re wrong,” he remarked.

Rocky could not force his vocal folds to phonate or his mouth to work.  With a massive effort he thought, _yes!_   “Yes,” he uttered miraculously.

Warmth rushed through Rocky’s veins.  As relief swept over Rocky, remorse ached within his heart.

 

* * *

 

 

Back in Tommy’s lab, Kimberly kept digging the balls of her left foot into the floor.  “Why can’t evil ever go after someone else?” she muttered, seemingly under her breath.

“This time they have,” Haley answered, pulling up a satellite image.  “I just found Rocky.”

“What?” Kimberly asked, shaking her head back to the surface.

“He’s with Jason and seems to be in trouble,” Haley explained.

“Then we better go there,” Zack decided, reading the coordinates.  “That’s not far from here.”

“Agreed,” Sean commented.  “Everyone be on your guard.  Zack, stay here in case something else comes up,” Sean commanded.

“No problem,” Zack replied, tossing his head in assent.  _Now I know what Tommy felt like._

“I’m sick of this,” Kimberly spat.  “IT’S MORPHIN’ TIME!”

 

* * *

 

 

“Get up!” Jason commanded.

Still gripped in terror he pushed himself up.  Hesitating at first, he looked into Jason’s eyes.

“You can either serve me willingly or like Tommy is now.”

Thoughts began to pop within Rocky.  “What?” he coughed.

Jason looked up at the moon. “Bring him!” he ordered.

Rocky twisted his neck around at a peripheral flash of flame and white light.  He stiffened a gasp.

Tommy stood before him like an automaton flanked by Goldar and Scorpina.  Rocky peered into the flashing eyes.  _So that’s what they looked like,_ he mused.  “Wait!  Tommy, what are you doing here?”  He was not supposed to be here.

Tommy was a still zombie.

“This is crazy!” he spat, wheeling around at Jason.

“This is evil,” Jason explained; his demeanor unchanged.

Rocky shuddered.  He looked down, noticing his forearm was still pale.  No doubt his face was also.  “Tommy broke free from your control,” he mumbled.  “He will again.”

“I’m not controlling him this time.”

“I already agreed to switch sides,” Rocky objected.  “Release, Tommy.”

“How about we discuss it?” Jason countered.

Just then, the other rangers materialized mere feet away from the villains.  “Rocky, get over here!” Adam yelled.

Rocky craned his neck around, his cheeks and eyes shuddering.  He looked into Adam’s eyes—the eyes of his lover.  Time slowed.  Doubt and suspicion crept over them.

“Rocky, move!” Kimberly blared.

Rocky shook his head, hardening his face.  Turning back to Jason, he grasped the back of Jason’s head, stroking the vibrant black hair.

Disbelief plucked at Adam’s stability.

Pushing his love for Adam away, Rocky kissed Jason.  Jason kissed back.

Adam lurched forward, choking on expelled vomit.  Tearing off his helmet, he saw Rocky and Jason’s kiss break.  Pressing into the earth, he fought to steady his legs, shivering with fury.

“Kill them,” Jason commanded the warrior trio.  Hand in hand, Rocky and Jason teleported away.


End file.
